YELLOW-BREASTED KAIL. 405 



rather more elevated from the ground. All the other Rails and Crakes 

 are, though much less aquatic than the Gallinules and Coots, always 

 found in marshes, swamps, lakes, and their reedy margins, or in their 

 vicinity, and they even swim occasionally, though not habitually. The 

 Ortygometrce, or Crakes, are again subdivided by the modern English 

 school into two groups, which they elevate to the dignity of genera, 

 under the names of Crake and Craker, but to which they assign no 

 character. At least. Dr. Leach, the author of the genus Zapornia, did 

 not, as far as I know, characterize the group, nor is my good friend at 

 present able to point out the difference. However this may be, the only 

 species referred to it is the European Rallus pusilhis, whilst its close 

 relative the porzana, and even the R. haillonii are left in Ortygometra 

 with the Mallus vre.r, which with great inconsistency the same writers 

 omit to distingui.sh separately, as has been done by some Germans and 

 Italians. It will not be useless here to bear in mind that even the two 

 chief divisions of this natural genus pass so insensibly into each other as 

 to make it impossible to separate the connecting species, so that a great 

 many Brazilian Rails are arbitrarily placed in either subgenus, notwith- 

 standing that the extremes — which amoncf the four North American 

 species may be exemplified by this, the Yellow-breasted namely, and the 

 Virginia Rail — are so widely different : and this furnishes additional 

 proof of the inexpediency of Latham's arrangement, however it may 

 have since been admired and imitated. Our genus Rail, which we main- 

 tain to be natural, though closely related to Gallinula, and especially 

 Porphyrio, is easily known at once from them all by the feathered front, 

 common to all the species. 



The bill, varying in length, which affords the means of distinguishing 

 the two subgenera, is in all the Rails more or less thick at base, gene- 

 rally straight, and always compressed : the upper mandible is furrowed 

 each side, somewhat vaulted and curved at tip, its base extending up- 

 wards between the feathers of the front : the nostrils, placed in the 

 furrow, are medial, oblong or longitudinal, open and pervious beneath, 

 and covered at base by a membrane (by which conformation they differ 

 essentially from the Porphyrios) : the tongue is moderate, narrow, com- 

 pressed, entire, acute, fibrous at tip : the forehead is feathered : the 

 body very compressed and thin flanked. The naked space on the tibia 

 is small, the tarsi subequal to the middle toe, somewhat compressed, so 

 as to make up for the want of membrane in the analogy to the Web- 

 footed, that other less aquatic Wading birds exhibit. We are particukr 

 in remarking this, for the toes are entirely divided, and the decurrent 

 membrane extremely narrow. The hind toe equals in length one phalanx 

 of the middle, and is inserted a little higher than the others : the nails 

 are short, comjn-essed, curved, and acute. The first primary is shorter 

 than the fifth ; the second, third, and fourth being the longest. The 



