Porphyrio cinereus Vieillot, Nouv. Dict. d'Hist. Nat. (1819),
28, 29.
Poliolimnas cinereus Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1894), 23,
130; Hand-List (1899), 1, 104; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List
(1906), 17.
Basilan (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Bohol (McGregor); Calayan
(McGregor); Cebu (Steere, Everett, Bourns & Worcester); Dinagat
(Everett); Guimaras (Steere Exp.); Leyte (Everett, Steere Exp.);
Luzon (Bourns & Worcester, Cuming, Whitehead, McGregor); Marinduque
(Steere Exp.); Mindanao (Everett, Bourns & Worcester); Mindoro
(Bourns & Worcester, Porter); Negros (Bourns & Worcester); Panay
(Bourns & Worcester); Sibuyan (McGregor); Siquijor (Steere Exp.,
Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor). Oceania, Malayan Peninsula,
Greater and Lesser Sunda Islands, Buru, Australia.
Adult (sexes alike).--General color above wood-brown; scapulars, inner
secondaries, lower back, rump, and tail seal-brown; scapulars and inner
secondaries with wide sandy brown edges; top of head black or dark
slate-gray; a white line from bill over eye; a large loral space black,
below this a white band separating black post-ocular space from ashy
ear-coverts; lower throat, sides of neck, and sides of body ashy gray;
chin, upper throat, thighs, and middle of breast and abdomen white;
flanks, vent, and under tail-coverts sandy buff or clay-color; wings
and tail dark brown; first primary edged with white. Iris bright red;
bill yellowish brown; legs brown with greenish and yellowish tints;
nails brown. Length, 190 to 203. Three males from Bohol measure: Wing,
91 to 98 (average 95); tail, 45 to 51 (average 48); exposed culmen,
23; tarsus, 36 to 39 (average 37.8); middle toe with claw, 46 to 52
(average 46).
Young.--The fully feathered young resembles the adult in color pattern
but top of head and blackish loral band are brown and the ashy gray
of ear-coverts, lower throat, and sides is replaced by yellowish
buff. The downy young is coal-black.
A downy young bird was collected in Calayan, October 8, 1903, and a
half-grown bird was collected in Ticao, April 22, 1902.
"Very common about lakes and fresh-water pools. Breeds
abundantly in the tall grass and rushes. Called by the natives
'y-a-gut-yút.'" (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Genus LIMNOBÆNUS Sundevall, 1873.
In colors this genus resembles Rallina but has the middle toe with
claw longer than the tarsus.
Species.
a1. Flanks olive-brown with narrow whitish bars, the bars sometimes
wanting. ... fuscus (p. 74)
a2. Flanks white, barred with dusky blackish. ... paykulli (p. 74)