THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
the encroachment of black on the sides of the breast, and the outline of golden- 
buff on the sides of the neck and the fore-neck, but still leaves an open space 
on the breast which is completely covered with black in the next stage. 
N estling {just out of down). Has a reddish head ; very dark brown hind-neck and 
mantle ; upper-back brown with rufous edges to the feathers ; lower-back black 
with rufous edges, giving a barred appearance ; wings buff ; under-surface white, 
the frontal plate just showing. 
Nest. “ Composed of sedge, grass and aquatic plants, placed close to the water’s edge, 
or upon any bunches of weeds or grass growing in the water, which may be 
sufficiently strong to bear its weight ” (Ramsay). 
Eggs. Clutch, four ; very much darker and more highly polished (glossy) than those 
from Melville Island ; axis 28-31 mm., diameter 21-23. 
Breeding-season. September to January. 
“ This Parra is tolerably abundant throughout the swampy regions 
which abound over the eastern portion of Queensland and north-eastern 
parts of New South Wales ... It is found most plentiful in the Rock- 
hampton districts wherever the swamps and lagoons occur ; the leaves of the 
gigantic Nymphcea and Nelumhium afford a safe retreat for this species. I 
know of few more interesting or more pleasing sights than a troop of this 
handsome Parra wandering among the bright blue and crimson blooms of 
the giant water-lilies which abound in almost every sheet of water of any 
extent in North-eastern Queensland.”* 
For many years the Jacana of the East Indies and Australia were 
considered to be identical, and Ramsay, receiving birds from New Guinea, 
was the first to point out that these differed from specimens from New 
South Wales, and named the New Guinea birds Hydralector novoe-guinece. 
Salvador!, working upon the birds of the Moluccas and New Guinea, 
pointed out that though the New Guinea birds were obviously different, 
it was the Australian bird which needed a new name, as the type of 
Temminck’s Parra gallinacea came from Celebes. He therefore named the 
New South Wales bird Hydralector novcB-Tiollandice. When Sharpe wrote up 
the Catalogue of Birds he quite wrongly lumped all the forms together 
under the name Hydralector gallinaceus. 
In the Nov. Zool., Vol. XVIII., p. 224, 1912, I revived Salvador’s 
name for the New South Wales bird and also differentiated the North- 
west Australian form as Irediparra gallinacea rothschildi^ diagnosing it thus : 
“ Differs from I. g. novce-hollandioe in its darker coloration, therein approaching 
I. g. novce-guinecB, but not as dark as that form.” 
I later separated the Melville Island breeding form as follows : “ Differs 
from I. g. rothschildi in having the yellow and black bands on the under- 
surface less pronounced. It has also a heavier biU.” 
* Ramsay, Proc. Zool. Soc. (Lond.) 1877, p. 344. 
316 
ft 
