Bill of various shapes — long in the true Rails, shorter and stouter 

 in the Crakes, and very deep in the Gallinules, with the nasal open- 

 ing pierced in the horny sheath. 



Ambiens muscle present. Femoro-caudal muscle, accessory 

 femoro-caudal, semitendinosus, accessory semitendinosus, and post- 

 acetabular portion of the tensor fasciae present. 



Toes very slender and long, sometimes webbed and scalloped ; 

 hind toe always raised above the level of the others. 



Eggs generally numerous, cream-coloured with dark spots. 



Young, when hatched, covered with down, and able to run or 

 swim in a few hours. 



{Cf. Seebohm, Classif, B. p. 40 ; Sharpe, Classif. B. p. 70.) 



Key to the Genera. 



A. Culmen longer than the middle toe and claw, 

 or at least equal iu length to the latter. 



a. Tarsus shorter than the middle toe and claw, 



or at least not exceeding it. 

 a'. Nasal groove very long, deep, and well 

 marked ; the nasal apert^u-e situated 

 nearer to the feathers at the base of tlie 

 bill than to the anterior end of the nasal 

 groove ; tarsus always shorter than the 



middle toe and claw 1. Rallus, p. 6. 



b'. Nasal groove deep and well marked ; the 

 nasal apertm-e situated about the middle 

 of the groove, as near to its anterior 

 extremity as it is to the feathered portion 

 of the bill at gape. 

 a". Genj'S either straight or up-cm'ved 

 towards the end of the mandible. 

 a'". Bill long ; culmen equal to or 

 exceeding the tarsus iu length ; a 

 slight indication of a tiny frontal [p. 27. 



shield 2. Limnopardalus, 



b'". Culmen not so long as the tarsus . . 3. Hypot^nidia, 

 b". Genys distinctly deciu-ved at tip, fol- [p. ,32. 



lowing the line of the upper mandible. 4. Cabaxxis, p. 46. 



b. Tarsus longer than the middle toe and claw ; 



a distinct longitudinal groove near the 

 base of the lower mandible, 

 c'. No sign of any frontal shield. 

 c". Tail longer than the tarsus. 

 c'". No bare patch behind the eye. 



«*. Wing-coverts not so abnormally [p. 49. 



elongated as to hide the quills . . 5. Eulabeohnis, 

 b^. Plumage soft and hair-like ; the 

 wing-coverts greatly elongated, 

 almost hiding the qmlls, to which [p. 51. 



they are equal in length (5. Tbicholimnas, 



d". With a bare patch behind the eye . 7. Gymnocrex, 

 d". Tail somewhat shortened, not so long [p. 52. 



as the tarsus 8. Aeamides, p. 53. 



