752 
U. S. P R. R EXP. AND SURVEYS-ZOOLOGY-GENERAL REPORT. 
List of specimens. 
Catal. 
No. 
Sex. 
Locality. 
When col¬ 
lected. 
Whence obtained. 
Orig’l 
No. 
Collected by— 
Length. 
Stretch 
of wings. 
Wing. 
Remarks. 
1729 
8 
Carlisle, Pa. 
Oct. 26. 
S. F. Baird. 
16.00 
28.00 
8.00 
1707 
8 
Sept. 30, 1844 
15.25 
27.25 
8.16 
1216 
0 
June, 1841... 
8907 
8 
Loup Fork of Platte. 
July 5.1857 
Lieut. Warren.... 
Dr. Hayden.... 
15.00 
27.25 
7.75 
8906 
o 
July 20,1857 
14.25 
28.25 
7.25 
4176 
15.50 
28.00 
8.00 
5088 
Mar. 24,1856 
6621 
Mar., 1855 ... 
46 
4558 
1.1 
4557 
4 
9984 
Mar., 1854_ 
9982 
T. A. Szabo.... 
9986 
9989 
GALLINULA, Brisson. 
Gallinula, Brisson, Orn. VI, ]760, 3. Type Fulica chloropus, L. 
The gallinules are readily distinguished from the coots by the absence of the lobes of shin 
margining the toes. There is a very slight membrane, but this is scarcely appreciable in the 
dried skin. 
The purple gallinule by Burmeister is placed in another family ( Parridae ) from the common 
gallinule, ( G . galeata,) and by Bonaparte in a different section, Porphyrioneae. They seem, 
at any rate, well entitled to generic separation, although, for our present purposes, they may 
be combined under Gallinulo . The most prominent character of the purple gallinule, or Por- 
phyrula , consists in the thicker bill and nearly circular, instead of elongated or linear nostrils, 
although other distinctions might readily be adduced. 
Gallinula, Brisson. 
GALLINULA GALEATA, (Licht.)Bon. 
Florida Gallinule. 
Crex galeata, Licht. Verz. 1823, 80, No. 826. San Paulo. 
Gallinula galeata, Bon. Am. Orn. IY, 1832, 128; pi xxvii.—I b. List, 1838 .—Nutt. Man. II, 1834, 221.—Gosse, 
Birds Jam. 1847, 381 .—Cab. Journ. 1856, 428. 
Gallinula chloropus, Bonap. Syn. 1828, 336 .—Aud. Orn. Biog. Ill, 1835, 330 ; pi. 244 .—Ib. Birds Amer. Y, 1842, 
132 ; pi. 304. 
Sp. Ch. —Frontal plate large, obovate, terminating square on the top of the head ; bill shorter than the head, rather thick, 
compressed ; wing rather long ; tail short; legs moderate ; toes and claws long, robust. Head, neck, and entire under parts 
dark bluish cinereous, frequently nearly black on the head and neck, and generally lighter on the abdomen ; a few feathers on 
the flanks widely edged with white ; edge of wing at the shoulder and outer edge of first primary quill white ; shorter under tail 
coverts black, longer white. Upper parts brownish olive, darker on the rump ; quills dark brown ; tail brownish black ; frontal 
plate and bill bright red, tipped with yellow, tibia with a bright red space on the bare portion next to the feathers; lower portion 
of tibia, tarsus, and toes yellowish green. 
Total length about 12| inches ; wing, 6^ ; tail, 3 ; bill, lj ; tarsus, 1J inches. 
Hab .—Southern countries of North America, Louisiana, Florida, Texas, Couth America. Accidental in middle and northern 
States. 
