364 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I50 



[?PARDIRALLUS MACULATUS (Boddaert): Spotted Rail; 

 Cocalequita Pintada 



Rallus maculatus Boddaert, Table Planch. Enl., 1783, p. 48. (Cayenne.) 



At Mandinga, San Bias, in the early morning of January 22, 1957, 

 a rail that appeared to be somewhat larger than a sora flushed in 

 fairly open, high grass near the border of the abandoned airfield. 

 The bird rose 5 or 6 meters from the ground, flew swiftly for 75 



Fig. 60. — ^Foot of American coot, galHneta cenlcienta, Fulica americana ameri- 



cana, with lobed toes. 



meters or so, and then dropped down on wet, bush-and-grass-grown 

 ground, where it disappeared in the manner usual in this family. On 

 the wing the upper surface of the body appeared black, well-streaked 

 with light gray. I made search in this area on several occasions 

 afterward but did not find the bird again. 



It is probable that this was the spotted rail, the only species known 

 to me of the size and marking described that might be found in 

 this area. This species has been recorded in Central America from 

 Mexico, Costa Rica and British Honduras and to the south from 

 northern Colombia. None have been taken to date in Panama. 



