BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA 



181 



extremity about on line with middle of eyes ; anterior outline of loral 

 feathering with its apex (antia) near base of maxillary tomium, 

 thence receding, in a straight or slightly convex line, to near base of 

 frontal shield; malar antia decidedly anterior to loral antia, the 

 mental antia on line with or anterior to anterior end of nostril. Wing 

 relatively rather small, moderately concave beneath, rounded, the 

 longest primaries exceeding distal secondaries by a little more than 



Figure 12. — Gallinula chloropus cachinnans. 



one-third the length of wing, and exceeding the elongated proximal 

 secondaries by about length of culmen ; second and third, or second, 

 third, and fourth, primaries (from outside) longest, the first (outer- 

 most) equal to seventh, sometimes longer than sixth. Tail about two- 

 fifths as long as wing, strongly rounded, the rectrices (12) firm, broad, 

 broadly rounded at tip, and with compact webs. Tarsus nearly one- 

 third as long as wing, much shorter than middle toe without claw 



