66 MANUAL OF PHILIPPINE BIRDS. 



The nest is placed on the ground and well concealed among reeds or 

 bunches of grass; usualh' situated near water or marshy ground. The 

 eggs vary in number from four to ten, and are usually much spotted 

 and streaked. The downy young are coal-black. 



Family RALLID^. 



Characters same as those given for the Order. 



Subfamilies. 



a>. Toes without webs or lobes Rallinae (p. 66) 



a". Toes lobate Fulicinae (p. 81) 



Subfamily RALLINAE. 



Genera. 

 a\ No frontal shield. 



6^ Bill more slender; exposed ciilnien equal to middle toe without claw. 



Hypotaenidia (p. 66) 

 b". Bill stouter; exposed cuhnen much less than middle toe without claw. 

 f\ Culnien not swollen at base; wing less than 140 mm. 



d^. Tarsus longer than middle toe with claw Rallina (p. 69) 



d". Tarsus about equal to middle toe with claw or shorter. 



e^. C'ulmen decidedly longer than hind toe with claw; under tail-coverts 

 banded with white. 

 p. Smaller; wing, 90 mm. or less ; forehead, throat, and breast slate-gray. 



Porzana (p. 71) 

 f. Larger; wing, 100 mm. or more; forehead, throat, and breast chestnut. 



Limnobsenus (p. 73) 

 e'. C'ulmen but little longer than hind toe with claw; under tail-coverts 



unhanded Poliolimnas (p. 73) 



c^. Culmen slightly swollen at base but not forming a frontal shield; wing 



more than 150 mm Amaurornis (p. 75) 



a". Frontal shield present ; legs and feet long and heavy. 



b\ Nostrils elongate; frontal shield narrower; terminal half of bill green or 

 yellowish green. 

 c\ Under tail-coverts pure white; tarsus less than 65 mm.. Gallinula (p. 77) 

 cr. Under tail-coverts not white; tarsus more than 75 mm.. Gallicrex (p. 78) 

 b^. Nostrils small and circular: frontal shield wider; bill all red. 



Porphyrio (p. 80) 



Cienus HYPOT^EXIDIA Keiclienbach,, 1852. 



Bill slender; abdomen and flanks black or brown, l)anded with white. 



Species. 



a*. Chin wliite; ujiper parts more or less spotted with white. 



b\ Smaller; wing less than 125 mm.; breast uniform; no white eyebrow. 



striata (p. 67) 

 b-. Larger; wing more than 140 mm.; breast barred with black and white; a 



white eyebrow philippensis (p. 67) 



a'. Chin black; upper parts uniform torquata (p. 68) 



