136 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



the brinvn color lighter and duller. Downy young . "Covered vrhh coarso 

 tuftj' feathers of a black color." Length 25.00-28.00, wing 11.00-13.00, cul- 

 men 3.50-4.75, tar.sus 3.50-5.20, middle too 3.30-3.50. Fgtjs 4-7 (sometimes 

 as many as 15?), 2.32 X 1-70, pale dull buff, spotted, daubed, and stained with 

 brown and purplish gray. Hab. Greater Antilles, Florida, coast of Gulf of 

 Mexico, and south to Costa Rica (both sides). 



207. A. giganteus (Bonap.). Limpkin. 

 a'. "White markings confined to head and neck. Wing 12.50-14.20, culmen 4.30- 

 4.70, tarsus 4.60-5.20. Jfab. Eastern South America. 



A. scolopaceus (Gmkl.). Brazilian Courlan.' 



Family RALLID/E. — The Rail.s, Gallinules, and Coots. (Page 134.) 



Genera. 



a^. No frontal process, or shield-like extension of bill over forehead. (Subfamily 

 liallina'.) 



ft'. Bill slender, as long as, or longer than, the tarsus Rallus. (Page 130.) 



b''. Bill stout, not more than two-thirds as long as the tar.-)us (usually much 

 less), 

 c'. Middle toe (without claw) not shorter than tarsus ; base of gonys not 



forming a decided angle Porzana. (Page 139.) 



c'. Middle toe shorter than tarsus; base of gonys forming a decided 



angle Crex. (Page 140.) 



fl'. Forehead covered by a shicld-lilce extension of the culincii. 



Ii\ Toes without lateral lobes or flaps. (Subfamilj' GalUnulina;.) 



c'. Nostril small, oval ; middle too (without claw) shorter than tarsus ; 

 inner posterior face of tarsus covered by a single row of largo 



quadrate scutellaj lonornis. (Page 140.) 



c'. Nostril elongated, slit-like ; middle toe (without claw) longer than tar- 

 sus ; inner posterior face of tarsus covered with several irregular 



rows of small hexagonal scales Gallinula. (Page 141.) 



6'. Toes provided with conspicuous lateral lobod meniliranes. or " flaps." (Sub- 

 family Fub'cuur.) Fulica. (Page 141.) 



Gentts rallus Linn^us. (Page 136, pi. XL., fig. 1.) 



Species. 



Common Characters. — Above brownish or grayish, striped, more or less dis- 

 tinctly, with darker; chin and upper throat whitish; fore-neck, chest, and breast, 

 plain cinnamon, varying to buffy grayish ; sides, flanks, and axillars barred with 

 brown or dusky and whitish. Downy young : Entirely uniform glossy black. Nest 



> Ardea tcolopaeea QuEL., S. N. i. pt. ii. 1788, 647. Aramut ecolopaceue Vieill., Nouv. Diet. M. U. Tii. 

 ISl", 301. 



