Order RALLIFORMES. Family RALL1DJE. 
No. 4. 
PORPHYRIO ALBUS. 
WHITE SWAMP-HEN. 
(Plate 4.) 
Porphyrio Brisson, Ornith., Vol. I., p. 48 ; Vol. V., p. 522, 1760. Type (by tautonymy): 
Porphyria—Fulica porphyrio Linne. 
CcBsarornis Reichenbaeh, Nat. Syst. Vog., p. xxi., 1852 (1853). Type (by monotypy): Gallinula 
poliocephala Latham. 
Fulica alba White, Journ. Voy. New South Wales, p. 238 and plate, 1790 (before August): no 
locality. 
White Gallinule Phillip, Voyage to Botany Bay, p. 273 and plate, 1789 : Lord Howe Island 
and Norfolk Islands. 
Fulica alba White, Journ. Voy. New South Wales, p. 238 and plate, 1790 (before Aug.). 
Gallinula alba Latham, Index Ornith., Vol. II., p. 768, 1790, before December : Norfolk Island. 
Porphyrio albus Temminck, Man. d’Ornitk., Vol. II., p. 701, 1820 (before Oct. 21st) ; Mathews, 
Birds Austr., Vol. I., pt. 5, p. 247 with fig., p. 251, Oct. 31st, 1911 ; id., Nov. Zool., 
Vol. XVIII., p. 452, January 1912 (Lord Howe Island) ; id., List Birds Austr., 
p. 326, 1913 (Dec.) ; Mathews and Iredale, Austral. Av. Rec., Vol. IV., p. 109, Dec. 16th, 
1920 ; Mathews, Syst. Av. Australas., p. 102, June 13th, 1927. 
Nolomis alba Pelzeln, Sitz. akad. der Wiss., Vol. XLI., p. 328, 1860 (after June 8th): Norfolk 
Island ; Salvin, Ibis, July 1873, p. 295, pi. x. ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., Vol. 
XXIII., p. 208, (pref. Feb. 27th) 1894 ; Rothschild, Extinct Birds, p. 144, pi. 33, 1907 
(before June 19th) : Norfolk Island ; Mathew’s, Handl. Birds Austral., p. 14, 1908 (Jan.). 
Distribution. Lord Howe Island (extinct). 
Adxdt. Pure white ; legs yellow ; bill and shield red ; eyes golden-yellow’ (taken from type figure). 
Total length of type skin 545 mm. : wing 228 ; culmen with shield 79 ; tail 75 ; tarsus 92 ; 
middle toe with claw’ 88, without claw’ 77 ; hind-toe with claw 45, without 32 ; inner toe 
with claw' 71, without 56 ; outer toe with claw 74, without 63 ; tail 75. 
Immature, nest and eggs. Unknown. 
In my Birds of Australia, Vol. I., pp. 247-254, 1911, I gave a full history of 
this bird. Nothing more has come to light. The unique specimen is in 
Vienna; my friend, Dr. M. Sassi, has had this drawn, and has also sent me 
the above measurements. This is the first time that the type has been 
figured and measured for very many years. 
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