376 Dr. A. Hall on the Mammals and Birds. 



1st and 2nd primaries subequal and longest ; the long scaptt* 

 lars subequal to the 3rd primary. Length 6| inches ; alar ex- 

 panse 10 inches; length of bill | inch ; length of middle toe and 

 tarsus 2 inches and 1 line. This rail is very scarce indeed, having 

 been only met with in the extensive swamps on the southern shore 

 of the St. Lawrence in the neighborhood of Sorel, 



Genus Fulica, 



Gen. char. Bill shorter than the head, strong, conical, com- 

 pressed, deeper than broad at the base ; mandibles furrowed on 

 each side at the base, equal ; upper mandible projecting over the 

 lower at the sides, and its base spreading on the forehead ; lower 

 mandible navicular; nostrils lateral, longitudinally cleft, semi- 

 closed ; all the toes connected at the bases with a scolloped mem- 

 brane; 2nd and 3rd primaries longest. 



F. Americana. Common Coot. 

 F. atra of Wilson ! 

 Fulica Americana. Baird ! 



v.B.p. Bill yellowish at the base, succeeded beyond the nos- 

 trils by a chesnut ring, tipped horn colour ; frontal callosity 

 white, with a rhoraboidal chesnut coloured spot ; irides red ; legs 

 and feet yellowish green ; eggs uncertain. 



Dorsal aspect. Crown of the head, cheeks, nuchal region, 

 slaty black ; interscapulary region and scapulars slaty black, ting- 

 ed with olive ; tail coverts olive black, great and small wing 

 coverts and tail slate colour ; primaries dusky, the outer vane of 

 the first primary edged with white, and the secondaries which are 

 slate, tipped with white. 



Ventral aspect. Chin and throat black; breast pale slate with 

 faint tips of slaty white to the feathers ; belly and vent pale slate 

 colour, the whitish bars more numerous, but irregular, thus 

 giving this part a whiter appearance ; flank feathers slate tinged 

 with olive ; tail coverts white. 



2nd primary longest, 1 and 4 equal ; long scapulars equal to the 

 2nd primary; length 16j inches; alar expanse 27 inches; length 

 of tarsus 2 inches ; length of middle toe to the heel including the 

 nail 3^ inches. 



(To he continued.) 



