BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA 151 



tion in frontal feathering; malar antia decidedly posterior to latero- 

 f rontal antia, the mental antia about on line with or slightly posterior 

 to posterior end of nostril. Wing moderate in size, very concave 

 beneath, strongly rounded; third and fourth, or third, fourth, and 

 fifth primaries (from outside) longest, the first (outermost) not 

 longer than ninth, sometimes shortest; longest primaries exceeding 

 distal secondaries by about one-fifth the length of wing, and extend- 

 ing slightly to considerably beyond tips of elongated proximal 

 secondaries; alula greatly developed, its longest feather reaching to 

 beyond tips of longest primary coverts. Tail one-third to more than 

 two-fifths as long as wing, rounded, the rectrices soft, with lax webs, 

 and mostly concealed by the coverts. Tarsus not longer (usually 

 decidedly shorter) than middle toe without claw, one-third to more 

 than tw^o-fifths as long as wing, the acrotarsium with a single series 

 of broad transverse scutella, the planta tarsi with similar transverse 

 scutella on upper portion and numerous smaller roundish or hex- 

 agonal scales on lower part; outer toe with claw reaching nearly if 

 not quite to base of middle claw (falling short in L. vagans and 

 L. albigularis), the inner toe, without claw, reaching to decidedly 

 beyond penultimate articulation of middle toe ; hallux, without claw, 

 longer than basal phalanx of outer toe but shorter than that of inner 

 toe ; claws small, compressed, moderately curved, acute. 



Plimmge and coloration. — Plumage of head, neck, back, scapulars, 

 rump, and anterior underparts compact and blended, that of poste- 

 rior underparts more full, with feathers more distinctly outlined 

 (broadly rounded) ; primaries broad, the outer ones (especially the 

 first) bowed or incurved; elongated proximal secondaries broadly 

 rounded at tips. Upperparts plain olive-brown, usually becoming 

 more or less ruf escent on hind neck ; anterior under parts plain ruf es- 

 cent laterally and white medially, or plain gray, the posterior under- 

 parts, including sides (but sometimes excluding abdomen) conspicu- 

 ously barred with white and blackish. 



Range. — Honduras to Amazon Valley. 



3, Subgenus Thrtoceex Ridgway. 



Small Ralleae (wing about 81-85 mm.) with bill not conspicuously 

 deeper at base than at gonydeal angle, its width at posterior end of 

 nostril equal to decidedly more than half its depth at same point; 

 malar antia slightly anterior to the broadly rounded loral antia; 

 longest feather of alula extending beyond tips of longest primary 

 coverts; outermost primary not projecting beyond tips of distal sec- 

 ondaries; tarsus longer than middle toe, without claw, and under 

 parts entirely plain cinnamon-rufous. 



Bill a little shorter than head, distinctly tapering (in lateral profile) 

 for distal portion only, its depth at gonydeal angle nearly equal to 



272607 — il 11 



