Order RALLIF0RME8 
No. 67. 
Family RALLIDJE). 
PORPHYRIO MELANOTUS NEOMELANOTUS. 
NORTH-WESTERN BALD COOT. 
(Plate 60.)* 
PoRPHYRio MELANOTUS NEOMELANOTUS, subsp. h., Nofth-west Australia. 
Porphyria hellus (not Gould) Ramsay, P.L.S., N.S.W. (II.), II., p. 172 (1887) ; Sharpe, 
Cat. B. Brit. Mus., XXIII., p. 202 (1894) (specimens, not synonymy) ; Keart- 
land, Trans. Roy. Soc. S.A., XXIL, p. 188 (1898) ; Mathews, Handl. B. Austral., 
p. 13 (1908) {partim)\ id.. Emu, IX., p. 54 (1909). 
Distribution. North-west Australia. 
Adult male. Entire back, scapulars, tail, and greater portion of wings blackish, lesser wing- 
coverts ultramarine-blue, like the outer webs of the bastard-wing and marginal- 
coverts ; inner webs of bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quills black ; lores, 
fore-part of cheeks, occiput, and hind-neck black ; hinder-neck, throat, entire 
breast, sides of body, and flanks ultramarine-blue ; middle of abdomen black ; 
under tail-coverts pure white ; axillaries blue, the longer ones black ; imder wing- 
coverts ultramarine-blue ; quills below glossy black ; “ BiU and frontal plate red ; 
iris red; tarsi and feet dusky red ” (J. P. Rogers). Total length 470 mm., culmen 
and frontal plate, 75 ; wing, 276 ; tail, 110 ; tarsus, 90. 
Adult female. Similar to the adult male, but smaller. Total length, 423 mm. ; culmen and 
frontal shield, 60 ; wing, 263 ; tail, 94 ; tarsus, 90. 
Nest. “ Bulky, carelessly built of dry and green reeds, which had apparently been crushed 
and softened between the bird’s bill. Situated on the top of tussocks of grass, in 
shallow water ; sometimes ten feet from the bank. Outside measurements 14 inches 
from top to bottom, and 16 wide. Egg cavity 9 by 4 inches ” (J. P. Rogers). 
Mr. j. P. Rogers, writing from Wyndham, North-western Australia, in 1908, 
says : “ On November lOtli I saw the first bird of the season on Parry’s Lagoons, 
and early in December they were very numerous ; but had not commenced to 
breed by the end of the year. They swim well and when wounded, dive.” 
The type figured and described is a male collected near Wyndham, North- 
western Australia, by Mr. J. P. Rogers, on January 3rd, 1909. 
* The Plate is lettered Porphyria melanoriotus. 
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