190 A MANUAL OF THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
The skull shows a schizognathous palate with holorhina] nasals and without 
basipterygoid processes ; the lachrymals do not join the ectethmoids, which have 
a process jointing the frontal, producing a foramen. The cervical vertebre vary 
from fifteen to twenty-one, the Rails fifteen, the Finfeet seventeen, Grebes twenty-one. 
The sternum is singly notched on each side of its posterior margin ; the furcula is 
somewhat variable in position. The carotids vary, the syrinx is typically tracheo- 
bronchial, and the digestive system periccelous, ceca long. The leg muscle formula 
varies, the Rails showing ABXY+, the Finfeet ABX+, and the Grebes BX-, 
the expansor secundariorum as also the biceps is variable. The oil gland is generally 
tufted, the aftershaft present and the wing aquincubital or quincubital (in the 
Finfeet.) The pterylosis is somewhat variable and the nestlings hatched covered 
with down. Fossil Rails are comparatively frequent, but they are generally of 
flightless form, and show convergence in the most marked manner, as the famous 
instance of Aphanapteryx from the Mauritius and Diaphoroapteryx from the Chatham 
Islands recalls, the bones being regarded as congeneric on account of their similarity. 
Again T'ribonyx was used for a Madagascar Rail, the author admitting its usage 
was due to non-differentiation of the osteological items, though probably no near 
relation of the living birds was a fact. 
SusorpER RALLIFORMES. 
We allow three families in this suborder, Rails (including Crakes), Moorhens 
and Coots. These are easily separable by almost intangible superficial features, 
the bill in the first named developing no frontal plate, while a more or less strongly 
formed frontal plate is seen in the latter two, which differ in the peculiar lobe formation 
surrounding the toes in the Coots. The general distribution of the whole three is 
world wide, but Coots do not occur in New Zealand. Rails and Crakes are more or 
Jess land forms, generally living about swamps but not swimming; Moorhens frequent 
water more commonly and swim a lot, while Coots invariably swim. 
Osteologically the skull is schizognathous and holorhinal, but in order to estimate 
the value of the last term Nesolimnas has been cited as haying schizorhinal nasals. 
The schizorhiny in this case is pseudo-holorhiny, and not schizorhinal as used in the 
Limicoline series ; there are no basipterygoid processes and the lachrymals do not 
fuse with the ectethmoids, while there are no supraorbital grooves. The cervical 
vertebra number fifteen, the sternum is singly notched with very long lateral processes 
and the furcula does not reach the keel of the sternum. There are two carotids, 
the syrinx is typically tracheo-bronchial with little variation and the digestive system 
typically periccelous with the ceca long. The leg muscle formula is ABXY-+-, 
and the expansor secundariorum is present, as also the biceps. The oil gland is 
tufted, but exceptions have been recorded, while an aftershaft is present and the 
wing aquincubital. The pterylosis is variable and has been little studied. The 
downy nestling is generally able to swim from birth. 
Famiry RALLID. 
Includes the Rails and Crakes, non-swimming Ralline forms of varied superficial _ 
features but very similar internal characters. 
Genus RALLUS. 
Rallus Linné, Syst. Nat., 10th ed., p. 153, Jan. Ist, 1758. Type (by subsequent designation 
Fleming, Mem. Werner. Soc., Vol. III., p. 176, 1821): Rallus aquaticus Linné. 
Lewinia Gray, Cat. Gen. Subgen. Birds, p. 120, (Oct.) 1855 (ex Reichb. and Pr. B(onaparte), 
MS.). Type (by original designation): R. lewinit Swainson = Rallus pectoralis Temminck 
et Laugier. 
Donacias Heine und Reichenow, Nomencl. Mus. Hein., p. 321, (pref. Sept.) 1890. New name 
for Lewinia Gray. 
