'Ja\J'JJ,/a/ 



4 



mm 



114 RAILS. 



a. Long-billed Rails. Rallus. 



Bill, longer than head, and slightly curved ; color, red o] 

 reddish beneath without prominent black markings, fig. 130. 



1. KING RAIL, R. elegans. 18.00; bill, 2.50; ashy- 

 red above distinctly streaked with dark-brown ; chestnut-red 

 on wing coverts and be- Fig. 130. 



neath ; dusky-brown on 



under wing coverts and 



flanks banded with 



white; throat, line from WIvvI'/tCW^ 



bill to over eye, and ab- MwM'v^^ ' 



domen white; iris, bili|ii|'1f^ 



and feet, brownish, fig. 



130. Eastern U. S., north 



to the middle states and 



casually to Mass., Me. 



and Ontario. Occurs 



usually on fresh-water 



marshes but occasionally found on salt marshes 



Breeds in May. 



2. VIRGINIA RAIL, R. yiegjnianur. Similar to 1 but 

 Bmaller, 9.25; bill, 1.50. Young, much darker, nearly black 

 in earlier stages. N. A. from the British Provinces south to 

 the Gulf of Mexico. Migrates southward in early Oct. to 

 winter from the Carolinas to Guatemala; occasionally found 

 in Cuba; comes north in early April. Common, frequenting 

 bushy marshes. Breeds in early June. Besides the harsh, 

 rail-like craking rapidly given, it gives a chuckling note when 

 slightly alarmed and a sharp squeak when much annoyed 

 The downy young keep up a constant peeping when running 

 about in the marshes. 



3. CLAPPER RAIL, R. crepitans. 14.00; bill, 2.25; 

 Differs from 1 in being bluish-ash above indistinctly streaked 

 with greenish-brown ; reddish of wings and ben ath paler 

 tinged with bluish on breast ; dusky of lower parts bluish; 

 throat, creamy; line in front of eye, reddish, fig 131. Atlan- 



M, A, a, 1. 



1-6. 

 Common. 



