GRALLATORES: RALLID^. 263 



warmer parts, is seventeen inches long, and the wing six 

 and a half inches ; upper parts olive brown ; under parts 

 rufous chestnut. 



The Clapper Rail, or Mud Hen, R. crepitans, Gm., of 

 the Atlantic coast, is about fourteen inches long, the wing 

 five and a half inches, and resembles the preceding. 



The Virginia Rail, R. virginianus, Linn., of temperate 

 North America, is seven and a half inches long, and the 

 wing four inches ; upper parts olive brown, with longitudi- 

 nal stripes of brownish black ; throat white ; neck be- 

 fore, and breast, bright rufous ; abdomen and under tail- 

 coverts with transverse bands of black and white. 



The Genus Porzana has the bill shorter than the head, 

 and straight. It contains about twenty species. 



The Sora, or Common Rail, Fig. i 4 o. 



P. Carolina, Vieill., of temper- 

 ate North America, is eight 

 and a half inches long, and 

 the wing four and a quarter 

 inches ; the upper parts green- 

 ish brown, with longitudinal 

 bands of black, and many 

 feathers with narrow white 



stripes at their edges ; the sides of the neck and breast 

 bluish ashy, with circular spots and transverse bands of 

 white upon the breast ; the bill greenish yellow ; legs 

 dark green. The female is similar, but duller. 



The Little Black Rail, P. jamaicensis, Cass., of the 

 Atlantic coast of North America and the West Indies, 

 five inches long, and the Yellow Rail, P. noveboracensis, 

 Baird, of Eastern North America, about six inches long, 

 are additional species. 



The Genus Crex is represented by the Corn-Crake, C. 

 pratensis, Bechst, of Europe, Greenland, and accidental 

 in the United States, which is ten inches long ; color dark 



