Proceedings of the Scientific Meetings of the Zoological Society of London 1868

Page 508

450 MESSRS. SCLATER AND SALVIN [June 25, transfasciatis.- long, tota 12*0, alee 65, caudee 2*3, tarsi 2*1, rostri a rictu 1*8. Hab. Brazil (Spix) ; vicinity of Bahia (Wucherer). Mus. S. & G. Genus 3. PORZANA. Type. Porzana, Vieill. Analvse, p. 61 (1816)..... . P. maruetta. 3Iustelirallus, Bp. C. R. xliii. p. 599 (1856) P. albicollis. Rufirallus, Bp. C. R. xliii. p. 599 (1856) .. P. cayennensis. Laterallus, Bp. Ann. d. Sc. Nat. se'r. 4. Zool. i. p. 46 (1854) P. melanophcea. Laterirallus, Bp. C. R. xliii. p. 599 (1856). . P. melanophcea. Crybastes, Cab. Journ. f. O. 1856, p. 428 .. P. flaviventris. Creciscus, Cab. Journ. f. O. 1856, p. 428 . P. jamaicensis. Coturnicops, Bp. Ann. Sc. Nat. ser. 4. Zool. i. p. 46 (1854) P. noveboracensis. The American species of this genus present many slight modi­fications in the proportions of the tarsus and toes, the elevation of the culmen of the bill, the length of the tail and tail-coverts, and the denudation of the lower part of the tibiae. It appears to us impos­sible to establish satisfactory generic divisions upon these characters, at any rate without a careful examination of the Old-World species of the group. It is even difficult to group the American species in minor sections; but the following may serve as a temporary arrange­ment of the subgenera :- a. majores: tarsus et digiti elongati. a', dorso maculato 1. Porzana. b'. dorso immaculate. a", hypochondriis puris 2. Rufirallus. b". hypochondriis fasciatis 3. Laterirallus. b. minores: tarsus brevis. a', digiti elongati 4. Crybastus. b'. digiti modici. a", rostri culmin e non elevato 5. Creciscus. b". rostri culmine elevato G. Coturnicops. c. major: tarsus et digiti breves 7 Neocrex. (1) PORZANA. Claris specierum. a. loris et gula nigris: dorso albo lineolato 1. P. Carolina. b. loris cinereis: gula alba: dorsi lineolis nullis 2. P. albicollis. 1. PORZANA CAROLINA. Rallus carolinus, Linn. S. N . i. p. 363. Ortygometra Carolina, Gosse, Birds of Jamaica, p. 371; Leotaud, Ois. Trinid. p. 493. Porzana Carolina, Baird, Birds N. A m . p. 749; Gundl. Journ f. Orn. 1856, p. 428; Scl. P. Z. S. 1861, p. 81, 1864, p. 179- Scl & Salv. P. Z. S. 1864, p. 372 ; Ibis, 1859, p. 230; A. & E. Newton Ibis, 1859, p. 260; Lawr. Ann. L. N.Y. vii. p. 479. Rallus stolidus, Vieill. Enc. Me'th. p. 1071.