352 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEU:\r vol. 84 



Type locality. — Hempstead, Long Island, N. Y.^^ 



Geographic distribution. — Atlantic coast of the United States. 

 Breeds north to southern Connecticut (Saybrook) and south to 

 central eastern North Carohna (Beaufort). Winters north to south- 

 eastern New York (Far Rockaway, Long Island), southern Con- 

 necticut, casually in southeastern Massachusetts (Kingston), and 

 south to northeastern Florida (Amelia Island). Casual in north- 

 eastern Massachusetts, southeastern New Hampshire (Portsmouth), 

 and southwestern Maine (York). Accidental in northwestern Ver- 

 mont (Burlington) ; central western Virginia (Lexington) ; southeastern 

 New York (Ossining); District of Columbia (Washington); and in 

 the central eastern Bahama Islands (Watlings Island). 



Remarks. — Notwithstanding its geographical separation, Eallus 

 longirostris crepitans is in appearance very much like Eallus longi- 

 rostris corrius from the Bahama Islands, but it is distinguishable from 

 that race by its somewhat longer wing, longer bill and tarsus, as well 

 as decidedly darker upper and lower surfaces. It may be distinguished 

 from Rallus longirostris longirostris by larger size, lighter upper surface 

 wdth less blackish centers of the feathers, and usually darker, more 

 purely grayish sides of head; and from Rallus longirostris leucophaeus 

 by its rather longer wing and tail, much shorter tarsus, paler, less 

 grayish upper surface with less blackish (more brownish) centers of 

 the feathers, paler, less blackish flanks and sides, with much wider 

 white bars, and the paler, duller, and less pinkish (more buffy) cinna- 

 momeous of lower parts. 



Birds of this race from Smith, Cobb, and Isaacs Islands in Virginia 

 are apparently typical in both size and color. A single bird from 

 Charleston, S. C, taken on June 8, 1902, is evidently typical Rallus 

 longirostris crepitans, but it doubtless represents a bird that had re- 

 mained behind the northward bound migrants. Several breeding 

 birds from central eastern North Carolina at Fort Macon, Hatteras, 

 Pea Island, New Inlet, and Beaufort, are geographically and other- 

 wise intermediate between Rallus longirostris crepitans and Rallus 

 longirostris waynei, and although more grayish on the upper surface 

 are not much darker than specimens of Rallus longirostris crepitans 

 from New Jersey. ^Vliile these birds are thus appreciably different 

 from typical Rallus longirostris crepitans they are so close to this form 

 that it seems best, at least for the present, to refer them to this race^ 

 rather than to give them a distinctive name. 



Individual variation in this race is considerable but is not so marked 

 as in some of the others. In the adult the throat varies from pure 



«« The New York specimens in Mrs. Blackburn's Museum, which Pennant and Latham cited as the basis 

 of their descriptions, were sent by a correspondent who lived at Hempstead, Long Island, N. Y., so that in 

 this as in other similar cases this place should be considered the type locality. 



