74 GAME BIEDS OF CALIFORNIA 



Key to California Game Birds — {Continued) 



CRANES 



PAGE 



1. Larger; folded wing more tliau 21.00 inches (533 mm.) long; hill more 



than 5.00 (127 mm.). Sandhill Crane 279 



1'. Smaller; folded wing less than 20.50 inches (520 mm.) long; bill less 



than 4.50 (114 mm.). Little Brown Crane 273 



RAILS, GALLTNULE, AND MUD-HEN 



1. No "shield" on middle of forehead. 

 2. Bill as long as, or longer than, tarsus. 



3. Folded wing more than 5.00 inches (127 mm.) long. 



4. Averaging slightly larger; upper surface grayish brown; under 



surface dull cinnamon brown. California Clapper Rail 283 



4'. Averaging slightly smaller; upper surface olive brown; under 



surface bright cinnamon brown. Light-footed Rail 289 



3'. Folded wing less than 4.50 inches (114 mm.) long. Virginia Rail 291 

 2'. Bill not more than three-fourths as long as tarsus. 



5. Under surface with little or no black; folded wing more than 



3.00 inches (76 mm.) long. 

 6. Breast gray; no white on wing feathers; folded wnng more 



than 3.75 inches (95 mm.) long. Sora Rail 296 



6'. Breast yellowish brown; patch on secondary wing feathers 

 white; wing less than 3.75 inches (95 mm.) long. 



Yellow Rail 301 

 5'. Under surface of body chiefly blackish; folded wing less than 



3.00 inches (76 mm.) long. California Black Rail 304 



1'. Middle of forehead covered by a horny, shield-like extension of the 

 bill (fig. 54). 

 7. Toes slender, without any marginal lobes; bill of adult chiefly red. 



Florida Gallinule 309 

 7'. Toes with thin, broad, marginal scallop-like lobes (fig. 55) ; bill 



whitish. Mud-hen 313 



SHORE BIRDS 



1. Tarsus more than 3.25 inches (82.5 mm.) long; bill black, and more 

 than 2.25 inches (57 mm.) long, never curved downward; some 

 solid black in body plumage at all times of year. 



2. Top of head, neck and back, black; bill almost straight (fig. 62) ; no 



hind toe; webs between front toes very small (fig. 63) ; legs pink. 



Black-necked Stilt 344 

 2'. No black on head or neck; bill decidedly curved upward (fig. 60); 

 hind toe present ; extensive webs between front toes at bases 

 (fig. 61); legs blue. Avocet 337 



1'. Tarsus less than 3.25 inches (82.5 mm.) long (if more than 3.25 [82.5 

 mm.] then bill curved downward) ; bill various. 



3. Front toes with lobes or webs on margins and webbed at bases; 



tarsus conspicuously compressed; under surface of body never 

 streaked or barred. 



4. Bill blunt (fig. 57); wider than high at base; marginal webs on 



front toes scalloped (fig. 56); under surface of bo<ly cinnamon 



red in spring. Red Fhalarope 320 



