Gallinula porphyrio, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. ix. p. 67. pl. 73. fig. 2.
Purple Gallinule, Nuttall, Manual, vol. 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 dorsal line beyond this plate straightish and slightly declinate as far 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 series 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 incurvate, broad, 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 13 1/2 inches, to end of wings 13 1/2, to end of claws 18; extent of wings 21 1/2; bill along the ridge, including frontal plate 2; edge of lower mandible 1 1/4; tarsus 2 1/4; hind toe 1, its claw 10/12; middle toe 2 4/12, its claw 9/12.
Weight of one individual 7 1/2 oz., of another 8 1/2, both males; of a fourth 7 oz.; of a fifth 5 1/2; and of a sixth only 4 1/2.
The female is somewhat smaller, but similar to the male, the frontal plate is less extended, and the tints of the plumage a little less vivid.