BIRDS OF XORTH .\XD MIDDLE A^IERICA 153 



KEY TO THE NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICAN FORMS OF LATERALLUS 



a. Longest feather of alula falling short of tip of longest upper primary coverts. 

 &. Underparts entirely dark slate-gray. 

 c. Head paler, the crown deep neutral gray. 



Laterallus spilonotus, adult (p. 160) 

 cc. Head darker, the crown dark neutral gray to slate-black, 

 d. Middle toe without claw 23 mm. in length. 



Laterallus jamaicensis jamaicensis Tp. 1.59) 

 dd. Middle toe without claw shorter, usually not over 21 mm. in length. 

 e. Smaller, wing averaging less than 70 mm. 



Laterallus jamaicensis cotumiculus (p. 1.57) 

 ee. Larger, wing averaging over 70 mm. 



Laterallus jamaicensis stoddardi (p. 153) 



66. Underparts largely whitish laterallus exilis (p. 162) 



aa. Longest feather of alula extending beyond tip of longest upper primary 

 coverts. 

 6. Tarsus shorter than middle toe without claw; under tail coverts barred 

 with black and white. 

 c. Top and sides of head grayish. 



Laterallus albigularis cinereiceps (p. 164) 

 w. Top and sides of head dark brown. 



Laterallus albigularis albigularis (p. 166) 

 66. Tarsus as long or longer than middle toe without claw ; under tail coverts 

 plain, unbarred. 

 c. Upper back not bright rufescent but dark brown washed with rufescent. 



Laterallus ruber tamaulipensis (p. 168) 

 cc. Upper back bright rufescent. 

 d. Lower back, rump, upper tail and wing coverts rich, deep chestnut. 



Laterallus ruber ruberrimus (p. 170) 

 dd. Lower back, rump, upper tail and wing coverts chocolate-brown. 



Laterallus ruber ruber (p. 168) 



LATERALLUS JAMAICENSIS STODDARDI (Coale) 



Eastebx Black Rail 



Adult (sexes alike). — Top of head blackish mouse gray to black- 

 ish slate, the occiput the same but "washed with sepia: nape, liind 

 neck, and anterior interscapulars "warm sepia to bister, the inter- 

 scapulars with small subterminal white specks: rest of interscap- 

 ulars, back, rump, upper wing, tail covens, and scapulars dark 

 fuscous or blackish mummy brown to fuscous-black, usually be- 

 coming black on the rump and the upper tail coverts, each feather 

 with four small white specks, two on the outer margin of each web, 

 one terminal, the other about 5 mm. anterior to it : remiges fuscous 

 to dark fuscous, the secondaries with several narrow, small, trans- 

 verse wiiite spots on each web, the primaries averaging fewer such 

 spots, £ind chiefly on their terminal portion and largely on the outer 

 web (but not entirely so) ; rectrices fuscous-black crossed by nar- 

 row white transverse spots and more or less tinged with brownish 



