THE CLAPPER RAIL. 471 
RALLUS ELEGANS. — Audabon. 
Marsh Hen. 
Rallus elegans, Audubon. Orn. Biog., III. (1887) 27. 
Rallus crepitans, Wilson. Am. Orn., VII. (1813). 
DESCRIPTION. 
Upper parts olive-brown, with longitudinal stripes of brownish-black, most 
numerous on the back; line from the base of the bill over the eye dull orange-yel- 
low; space before and behind the eye brownish-cinereous; throat and lower eyelid 
white; neck before and breast bright rufous-chestnut; sides and abdomen, and under 
tail coverts, with transverse bands of brownish-black and white, the dark bands 
being the wider; tibize dull yellowish-white, with spots and transverse bars of ashy- 
brown; upper wing coverts reddish-chestnut; under wing coverts black, with trans- 
verse lines of white. Sexes alike. 
Total length (from tip of bill to end of tail), about seventeen inches; wing, six 
and fifty one-hundredths; tail, three inches. 
This beautiful bird is so exceedingly rare in New Eng- 
land, that it can be regarded only as a straggler from its 
southern home. It has all the habits of the following 
species ; and its eggs exactly resemble those of the Clapper 
Rail, but average about one-fifth larger. 
RALLUS CREPITANS. — Gmelin. 
The Clapper Rail; Mud-hen. 
Rallus crepitans, Gmelin. Syst. Nat., I. (1788) 718. Wils. Am. Orn., VII. 
(1813) 112. Aud. Orn. Biog., III. (1835) 83; V. 570. 6.; Birds Am., V. (1842) 165. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Upper parts light ashy-olive, with longitudinal stripes of brownish-black, most 
numerous on the back; a line of dull yellowish-white from the base of the bill over 
the eye; space before and behind the eye ashy; throat and under eyelid white; 
neck before and breast pale reddish-yellow, or tawny, tinged with bluish-ashy on 
the breast; sides, abdomen, under tail coverts, and tibie, with transverse bands of 
brownish-black and white, the former being the wider; upper wing coverts brown- 
ish-olive; under wing coverts black, with transverse lines of white; iris pale-yellow. 
_ Total length (to end of tail), about fourteen inches; wing, five and a half; tail. 
two and a half inches. 
This bird, so well known in the Middle and Southern 
States, is rarely found in New England as a summer visi- 
tor. It has been known to breed in- the most southern 
localities in these States; but the instances are few, and it 
can be called only an accidental species in New England. 
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