RALLID.K— THE RAILS, GALLINULES, AND COOTS. 83 



SURORUEK RALLI. 



Family RALLID-ffi.— The Rails, Gallinules, and Coots. 



Char. Small or medium-sized wading or swimming birds, with oompresBed body, 

 very long toes, which are sometimes (in the Cbotsi lobed along the edges, short, rounded, 

 concave wings, and very muscular thighs. 



The brief diagnosis given above is siitficieiit to (iistinguisii 

 the Rails, of whatever subfamily, from the Coiirlans and Cranes, 

 their only near allies. The typical Rails {Ralliiue) are of very 

 small to medium size, the typical genus, liallm, being charac- 

 terized particularly by a lengthened slender bill, while other gen- 

 era, as Por-ana and Crex, have this member comparatively 

 short and thick. The Coots and Gallinules have the base of 

 the culinen continued upon the forehead, where it widens out 

 into a more or less gibbous or expanded plate or frontal shield. 

 The Coots, however, are peculiar in having the toes fringed with 

 scalloped flaps or lateral lobes. 



The three subfamilies occun-ing in Noi'th Amei'ica may be 

 tlius distinguished : 



KallinsB. No frontal process; toes without lateral lobes ; size variable ; bill sometimes 



much elongated. 

 Gallinulinee. A frontal process, as in Fnlielniv ; toes without lateral lobes; size large. 

 Fulicinae. A frontal proi^'ss, as in fraUinulimi': toes with a lateral lobnd margin: size 



large. 



The several subfamilies having thus been defined, the .\oi'th 

 American genera may be characterized as follows: 



SuHFAMiLY RALLINiE.— The Hails. 



A. Bill slender, equal to or longer than the tarsus. 

 I. BaUus. (Page 89.) 



B. Itill Htoiit. not more than two thirds the tarsus (usually much loss). 



•-'. Forzana, Middle too about equal to or slightly longer than tarsus; base of gonys 

 not forming A decided angle; middle of culmen decidedly depressed or concave. 

 (Page 92.) 



'■'•. Crex, Middle toe shorter than tarsus; base of gonys forming a decided angle: 

 middle of culmen scarcely appreciably depressed. (Not yotfound in Illinois.) 



Suni'AMiLV QALLINULIN-ffi.— The (Jallixules. 



4. lonomia. Nostril small, oval; miildlc too shorter than tarsus; toes without traije 

 of lateral membrane ; Inner posterior face of tarsus with a single row of large 

 quadrate sculellii'. 



5. Oallinnla. Nostril elongated. sllt-IIke: middle toe longer than tarsus; toes with a 

 decided indication of lateral membrane; Inner posti-rlor face of tarsus covered 

 with several irregular rows of small hexagonal scales. 



