The whole of the upper surface blackish brown, each feather spotted with white down the centre, and largely margined with olive brown; quills plain brown; chin white; the remainder of the under surface brownish black, striated with white on the throat and chest, and crossed by irregular bars of the same on the abdomen and under tail coverts; bill dark horn colour; feet olive green. Habitat, Rio Plata. (Shot on board the Beagle.) 2. ZAPORNIA SPILONOTA. _Gould._ PLATE XLIX. _Z. capite corporeque infra, nigrescenti-griseis; corpore supra obscure rubrofusco, uropygio obscurè grisescenti-nigro; alis hypochondriis postice, tegminibusque caudæ inferioribus albo parciter sparsis; rostro nigrofusco; pedibus rubescentibus; iridibus carmineis._ Long. tot. 5¼ unc.; _alæ_, 2¾; _caudæ_, 1; _tarsi_, ⅞; _rostri_, ¾. Head and all the under surface blackish grey; all the upper surface dark reddish brown, fading off on the rump into deep greyish black; the wings, hinder part of the flanks, and under tail coverts slightly sprinkled with white; bill, blackish brown; feet, reddish; iris, bright scarlet. Habitat, Galapagos Archipelago. [Illustration: _Birds. Pl. 48._ _Zapornia notata._ ] [Illustration: _Birds. Pl. 49._ _Zapornia spilonota._ ] This bird frequents in large numbers the high and damp summits of the islands. It lives in the thick beds of carex and other plants, which, from the condensed vapour of the clouds, are constantly kept rather humid. It is tame, but lives concealed; it often utters a loud and peculiar cry. The female is said to lay from eight to twelve eggs. It is, I believe, the only bird in this archipelago which is exclusively confined to the upper parts of the islands. With respect to the specific description, I must observe, that in one of the specimens, the few and small white spots on the wings and abdomen are wanting. This is not a sexual distinction, but possibly may be owing to immaturity. 1. RALLUS PHILLIPENSIS. _Linn._ Common on the low coral islets, forming the Keeling or Cocos Atoll in the Indian ocean. With the exception of a snipe, this was the only bird without webfeet which inhabited this group. 2. RALLUS YPECAHA. _Vieill._ Rallus ypecaha, _Vieill._ Ency. Meth. p. 1071. Crex melampyga, _Licht._ Cat. Sp. L’Ypacaha, _Azara_, No. 367. Buenos Ayres. 3. RALLUS SANGUINOLENTUS. _Swains._ Rallus sanguinolentus, _Swains_, 2 cent. and a quart. Valparaiso. GALLINULA CRASSIROSTRIS. _J. E. Gray._ Gallinula crassirostris, _J.E. Gray_, in Griff. An. Kingd. I obtained specimens on the banks of the Plata and at Valparaiso. FULICA GALEATA. _G. R. Gray._