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EEVISIOX OF THE CLAPPER RAILS OBERHOLSER 337 



laiiy the edgings of the feathers, hghter, brighter, more rufescent (less 

 gra3-ish) (similar to the upper parts of Rallus elegans), cheeks more 

 brownish, less clearly gray; bend of w-ing much m.ore reddish, the 

 cinnamon of the anterior lower parts darker, more pinkish, the 

 jugulum without any indication of gray; sides and flanks lighter, the 

 white bars averaging narrower and usuallj' less distinct, often buff 

 instead of white. 



Measurements. — Adult male": Wing, 151-159.5 (average, 156.5) 

 mm; tail, 62-70.5 (66.5); exposed culmen, 62-65.5 (63.5); tarsus, 

 56-59 (57.8) ; middle toe without claw, 49-53 (51.1). Adult female ^«: 

 Wing, 139-144.5 (142.4); tail, 59-65 (62.9); exposed culmen, 56-60 

 (58)1 tarsus, 47.5-53 (51.3); middle toe without claw, 44.5-48 (46.6). 



Type locality. — Mexico City, Mexico. 



Geographic distribution. — Permanent resident in the Alexican States, 

 of Mexico and Tlaxcala, chiefly in the Valley of Mexico. 



Remarks. — This rail is similar to Rallus longirostris caribaeus, but 

 its bill averages somewhat longer; the centers of the feathers on the 

 upper parts are darker, more blackish, but the edgings lighter and 

 brighter, thus much more strongly contrasted; bend of wing decidedly 

 more reddish; cheeks more brownish, less clearly grayish; anterior 

 lower parts darker, brighter, more pinkish cinnamon and less uniform; 

 sides and flanks darker, the vrhite bars narrower and less distinct. 



This is one of the most distinct of all the races of Rallus longirostris 

 and as previously stated is the form that most closely approaches 

 Rallus elegans in its rather rufescent upper parts and reddish bend of 

 the wing, but the olive colors of the upper parts are not so rufescent 

 or ochraceous as in the latter species. Furthermore, it is one of the 

 few clapper rails that are strictly fresh-water birds, confined as it is 

 to the Valley of Mexico. 



In this species the color phases are not so well marked as in some 

 of the other races, although there are two phases involving the color 

 of the upper parts, a gray phase and a brown phase. The jugulum 

 is lacking entirely in the sufl'usion of gray; but birds in the juvenal 

 plumage are very dark above with little cinnamon below, the body 

 below nearly all white, more or less spotted laterally with brownish 

 slate. 



The available specimens represent localities as below: 



Mexico: Valley of Mexico. ^^ 



Tlaxcala: Lerma (July 2, 5, 6, 7, and 9, 1904). 



s" Four specimens, from the State of Tlaxcala, Mexico. 

 's Six specimens, from Tlaxcala, Mexico. 

 3' Type. 



