26 
Dr. T. H. Streets on a new Moorhen. 
rather short in proportion to the size of the species when 
compared with other species of the same group; first primary 
shorter than second, the second and third of equal length, 
the rest graduated; tail short; tarsus rather long and stout, 
rounded in front, and compressed posteriorly; toes and claws 
long and robust. 
The entire under surface of the body of one colour, which 
is a dark slaty; no marks of white on the abdomen; the 
head and neck all around much darker than the rest of the 
body, nearly black, with a slight brownish tinge; a few ot 
the long feathers on the flanks with long spots of white on 
the superior web of the feathers; the edge of the wing at the 
bend, and the outer margin of the outer web of the first 
primary marked with a very constricted line of white; the 
under surface of the wings of the same colour as the under¬ 
parts of the body; the longer under tail-coverts pure white, 
the rest black; the entire upper parts, including the upper 
surface of the wings and tail, olive-brown, the colour deepest 
on the rump, and fading out on the neck and on the exterior 
portions of the wings; the tips of the tail-feathers, and the 
shafts of the feathers, brownish black; frontal plate and bill 
bright crimson, the latter tipped with yellow; the tibia naked 
for about an inch, and surrounded by a bright crimson ring ; 
a decided crimson blush on the front of the tarsus, the colour 
deeper on the sides; feet pea-green. 
Total length about 13*50 inches; wing 6*50; tail 3; bill 
along the commissure 1*20, from the feathers on the side of 
the head 1, along the culmen, including the frontal plate, 
1*65; breadth of the frontal plate 0*50; length from the 
margin of the feathers on the side of the bill 0*70; tarsus 2; 
middle toe and claw 3. 
To sum up, the proportions of the bird and the quadrate 
form of the frontal plate show that its strongest affinities are 
with G. galeata rather than with any other member of the 
group; but the greater extent of the frontal plate, the shorter 
wing, the absence of white on the abdomen and on the under 
surface of the wing, as well as its reduction to a mere trace 
on the margin of the same, the more robust and different 
