GRALL^E — RALLID.E — ORTYGOMETRA. 263 



THE NEW-YORK RAIL. 



Ortygometra noveboracensis. 



plate ci. fig. 225. 

 (CABINET OF THE LYCEUM.) 



Fulica noveboracensis, Gmelin. Yellow-breasted Gallimde, Pennant, Arct. Zool. Vol. 2, p. 491. 



Rallus ruficollis. Vieillot, Gal. Ois. de l'Am. Vol. 2, pi. 2G6. 



R. ( Crex) noveboracensis. Bonaparte, Ann. Lye. Vol. 2, p. 335. 



Yellow-breasted Rail. Id. Am. Orn. Vol. 4, p. 136, pi. 27, fig. 2 (young ?). Richardson, F. B. A. Vol. 2, p. 402. 



Audubon, B. of A. Vol. 5, p. 152, pi. 307. Ndttall, Man. Orn. Vol. 2, p. 215. Giraud, 



Birds of Long islund, p. 204. 



Characteristics. Black, varied with rusty, and with numerous narrow transverse white 

 bars : beneath bright reddish brown, with dusky bars. Female and 

 young, duller ; the legs lineated. Length, 5*5. 



Description. Bill short, robust, compressed, O'G long : edge of the lower mandible entire. 

 Tarsus 0' 9 : middle toe and nail 1 " 2. The naked space of the tibia very small, and covered 

 by the feathers to the joint. Hind nail much incurved ; the others straight. Second quill 

 longest. Tail compressed. Spur on the wing inconspicuous or absent. 



Color. Above, the crown dusky, faintly streaked with rufous. Feathers on the upper 

 parts dark brown in their centres, light chesnut on their borders, and crossed with one or two 

 narrow white bars, one of them subterminal : these bars appear on the scapulars, tertials, 

 lateral tail-coverts and flanks. Quills plain olive-brown. Lores and auriculars dusky brown. 

 Line over the eye, and sides of the neck cinnamon-brown. Chin rufous white. Throat and 

 breast bright reddish brown, with obscure dusky bars on the sides. Thigh-feathers blackish. 



Length, 5-0-6-0. 



This diminutive Rail has been so little observed, that it has received no popular name. It 

 is distributed through the United States in the interior to the Rocky mountains, and along 

 the seaboard. It ranges from Louisiana to Hudson's Bay, breeding in most of the interme- 

 diate places. The eggs are pure white, and vary in number from ten to sixteen. Its general 

 resemblance to the European Quail is such that Latham describes it under the name of Hud- 

 sonian Quail. Its food consists of aquatic insects and seeds. It is a shy solitary bird, never 

 appearing in flocks like the preceding species. 



(EXTRALIMITAL.) 



O, jamaicensis, Briss. (Aud. B. of A. Vol. 5, p. 157, pi. 308.) Black: hind part of the back barred 

 with white, Beneath, hinder parts and thighs barred with black. Bill black. Legs yellowish 

 green. Length, 6-0. New- Jersey to Louisia?ia. 



Genus Aramus, Vieillot. Bill much longer than the head, compressed, curved, and somewhat turgid 

 at the tip. Upper mandible slightly furrowed ; lower, turgid about the middle. Nostrils 

 wide, linear, pervious. Head wholly feathered. Lores naked. Naked space on the tibia 



