40 PURPLE GALLINULE.
on the low branches of trees and bushes growing over the Water, and
walks lightly and gracefully over thorn. ;
It is seldom that-more than one Purple Gallinule is shot at a time,
unless in the beginning of the love season, when the male; and female
are apt to swim or walk close together. The male at this period is
said to: be able to inflate the frontal plate while strutting, but I have
never been fortunate enough to observe this.
The Purple Gallinule not unfrequently alights on ships at sea.
While at the Island of Galveston, on the 26th of April, I was offered
several live individuals by the: officers of the Boston frigate, which they
had caught, on board. My friend JOHN BACI IMAN once received three
specimens that had been caught three hundred miles from land, one of
them having come through the! « a b a window. He also obtained from
the Hon. Mr P O I N S E T a fine specimen caught on board, on the Santcc
River, in South Carolina, in May. It is easily kept alive if fed with
bread soaked in milk; and on this food I have known several that remained
in good health for years. In Louisiana, where it is called Rale
H!eu, its flesh is riot hold in much estimation, but is used by the negroes
for making gombo.
My friend B A CHMA N considers this species as rather scarce in South
Carolina and Georgia, but states. that it breeds there, as he has occasionally
observed pairs on the head waters or preserves of rice plantations
during summer, but never met with any in winter. The extreme
limit of its range eastward is the meighbourhood of Boston, where a few
individuals have been procured.
I think I may safely tell you that the figure of the Purple Gallinule
exhibited in the plate, is the first ever published from a drawing taken
from Nature !
FULICA MARTTNICA, Linn. Sys t . Na t . vol. i . p. 259.
GAXLIKULA MARTTNTCA, Lath. I n d Ornith. p. 769.—Gh. Bonaparte, Synops . p. 336.
GAIXRNURA POEPHTRIO, WUb. Ame r . Ornith. vol. ix. p. 67- pi . 73. fig. 2.
P u a p L E GALLINULE, JV*itiatt, Ma n u a l , v o l ii. p. 221.
Adult Male in Spring. Plate CCCV.
Bill as long as the head, nearly straight, stout, deep, compressed, tapering.
Upper mandible with a soft ovate plate at the base extending
over'a great part of the head, the dorsalline beyond this plate straight-
PURPLE GALLINULE. 41
ish and slightly decimate-as-fa® as -the .middle, then arcuato-declinate,
the ridge gradually narrowed until over the nostrils, afterwards considerably
widened,..the sides nearly erect, the edges sharp, the notch
obsolete: - Nasal groove extending nearly to the middle of the bill,
broad ; nostrils- sub-medial, lateral, oblong, direct, pervious. Lower
mandible with the angle rather long and narrow, the sides nearly erect
and slightly-concave, the dorsal line beyond the angle ascending, straight,
the edges sharp and direct, the tip narrowed, rather sharp;
- Head small, oblong, compressed. Eyes of moderate size. Body
much compressed, Feet large, long; tibia bare a considerable way
above the joint, and reticulated; tarsus long, stout, compressed, anteriorly
covered with very broad scutella, laterally and posteriorly with
two series of broad scutella, between which on the posterior edge is a
s e r i e s of very minute scales; hind toe comparatively small, middle toe
longest, and much longer than the tarsus, fourth longer than second;
toes free,-slender, compressed, with numerous broad scutella above,
obliquely flattened beneath, marginate; claws Very long, slender,
Slightly arched, much compressed, tapering to a very acute point.
Plumage blended, firm, glossy, the, feathers ovato-oblong, broad at
the end. Wings rather long, broad, rather concave; ovula large : primaries'
mcurvate, brdadv third longest, »second a twelfth of an inch
shorter, fourth two-twelfths shorter than second, which exceeds the
first by eleven-twelfths; - secondaries broad and grounded. Tail short,
much rounded, of twelve rather weak, rounded feathers, which but
slightly exceed the lower coverts.
Frontal plate ultramarine blue; bill bright carmine, tipped with
bright yellow. Iris bright carmine; margins of eyelids white. Tarsi,
toes, and claws bright yellow. Head, fore part of neck, and breast rich
purplish-blue?; abdomen and feathers of legs dusky ; sides green; lower
wing-coverts light green; sides of the neck light purplish-blue, shaded
into-verdigris and brownish-green above ; the fore part of the
back verdigris-green, shaded with olivaceous; the hind part and upper
tail-coverts olivaceous ; the coverts and outer webs of the quills greenish
blue, the inner webs clove-brown ; tail-feathers olivaceous.
Length to end of tail 1 3 | inches, to end of wings to end of
claws 18; extent of wings 214; hill along the ridge, including frontal
plate 2; edge of lower mandible ; tarsus 2i ; hind toe 1, its claw ;
middle toe its claw A