RALLID.E— THE RAILS, GALLINULKS, AND COOTS. 89 



All these variations appear, however, to be purely individual 

 (perhaps partially seasonal), or at least entirely independent 

 of locality. 



This essentially southern species is comparatively a rare bird 

 in Illinois, though it may l)e more common than the records 

 show. According to Mr. Nelson, a male specimen was taken in 

 May, 1886, by Mr. C. N. Holden, Jr., near Chicago, and he was 

 informed by Dr. Hoy that a specimen had been captured at 

 Racine. Its general habits are much like those of the Florida 

 Gallinule {GalUnula galcata). 



Subfamily RALLINiE. 

 Genus RALLUS Linn/EUS. 



Rallus Linn. S. N. ed. lo, 1758. 153; eil 12. 1766.261. Type. H. aijnaticus Linn. 

 Char. Bill longi'r than the head, rather slender, compressed; upper mandible slightly 

 curved: nostrils in a lone groove, and with a largo memhiane; wings short; tertiary quills 

 long, freauently longer than the primaries; tail very short; logs moderate; tarsus shorter 

 than the middle too, and covered on all sides with transverse soalos; toes long and rather 

 slender; inner toe rather shorter than the outer; hind too short and weak. 



This genus contains numerous species, inhal)iting all the tem- 

 perate countries of the world. They are very similar in their 

 habits, and frequently in appearance. Their long toes enable 

 them to run over and climb amongst atjuatic plants with great 

 facility. 



Synopsis of the North American Spec/ex. 



Common Characters. Above olive or ashy, with raoroor less di.stinct broad longitudi- 

 nal stripes of darker; beneath concoloredantc:rioriy, variegated with bars on the llanksand 

 crissum. Breast more or less reddish; llanksand crissum with brownand white transverse 

 bars ; a supraloral light stripe. Wing-coverts usually more rutesoent than back. 



A. Size large (wing more than Ave Inches). 



a. A.\illars and Hanks dusky, with wide while bars (bars about .15 of an inch wide on 

 flanks). 



1. B. elegaiu. Back and scapulars ochraccous-olive or yollowieh drab, sharply and 

 conspicuously striped with black; breast deep cinnamon. Wing. 5.90-<i.80; cul- 

 men, 2.10-2.50: least depth of bill, .22-.35; tarsus, 1.90-2.40; middle toe, 1.70-2.10. Hab. 

 Fresh-water marshes of eastern North Amerioa. 



'). Axillars and flanks brownish gray, with narrow white bars (bars about .10 of an inch 

 wiile on flanks). 



2. B. crepitans. Back and scapulars brownish gray or ashy, obsoletely striped 

 with brown (in Gulf coast specimens distinctly striped with dusky); breast pale 

 buff (in Gulf coa.st specimens dull einnamon). Wing, B.20-«.OO; culmon. 2.0.')-2.50; 

 leastdeplhof bill. .22-.35: tarsus, 1.85-2.10; middle toe, 1.7.''r-2.00. I/nb. Salt-water 

 marshes of eastern United States. 



B. Size small (wing less than i.M luchos). 



3. B. virginianua. Similar to R. elegana, but rather more deeply colored. Uab. 

 North and .Middle America. 



—12 



