Ml 



UALLID.E. 



I j 



& TWyrWmtfsT. UM Torpedo**. The haul U Tory Urge and sur- 

 rounded by pvetonls, to H to form a circular due ; the Uil is ahort, 

 by, dsprsmJ at the bace, cylindrical at the extremity ; mouth 

 beneath ; teeth pointed or flat. The** Ash are many of thc-m remarkable 

 for iheir power of giving electric shocks. [ELECTRICITY is OROANIC 

 Buxua.] There an two apeciea of Torptdo found on the British coasts. 



Torpedo rWyaru, the Old British Torpedo, the Common Crump- Fuh, 

 UM Numb-Pub, the Electric Ray, and the Cramp-Ray. TkU fish i* 

 only occaionally found on our coast*. 



r. matiliama, the New British Torpedo. This if identical with the 

 Torftdo of the Mediterranean. 



7. KJiimooalidtr, the Beaked Rays, hare the muzzle generally beaked 

 and pointed ; the mouth undulated ; the teeth rounded or elliptical, in 

 some broader than long, and longer on niminit of undulations; body 

 MBOoth; caudal fin bilobular, or cut obliquely, forming one lobe. 

 Tbeee fishea connect the Shatka and Rays. The species inhabit the 

 Mediterranean, the Atlantic, and the coast* of Brazil. They are not 

 found on the coaiU of Britain. 



8. Priitidtr, Saw Fishes. The snout is produced into a long flat 

 osesnus law-shaped blade, with teeth on the lateral edges ; body flat- 

 tened before, somewhat elongated posteriorly ; skin with very small, 

 flat, roundish, or 6-oornered scales ; mouth beneath. 



(Adams. Baikie, and Barron, Manual of \atural Jliitory; Yarrell, 

 y o/HriluJt FMa.) 



It A II. [KAM.IDA] 



RAIN, FOSSIL. Singular as may appear the notion that the 

 impressions of rain should be recognisable and be recognised on the 

 surface* of stratified rocks, the opinion is held by some eminent 

 geologist*, on the evidence of specimens of New Red-Sandstone takeu 

 from the Storetou Quarries near Liverpool. In March, 1839, Mr. 

 Cunningham, to whose researches in the Storeton Quarries we are 



Cunningbafl 



'-I:-. i 



I for much of our knowledge of the foot-prints of Cheirolheria 

 and other ancient animals, communicated a paper on the subject to 

 the Geological Society of London. " In examining some of the slabs 

 of stone extracted at the depth of above 30 feet, Mr. Cunningham 

 observed that their under surface was thickly covered with minute 

 hemispherical projections, or casts in relief, of circular pits in the 

 immediately subjacent layers of clay. The origin of these marks, he 

 i of opinion, must be ascribed to showers of rain, which fell upon an 

 ar.-illac.-ous beach exposed by the retiring tide, and their preservation 

 to tiit filling up of the indentations by sand. On the same slabs are 

 impression* of the feet of small reptiles, which appear to have passed 

 over the clay previously to the shower, since the foot-marks are also 

 indented with circular pita, but to a less degree, and the difference 

 Mr. Cunningham explains by the pressure of the animal having 

 rendered these portion* leas easily acted upon." If these impressions 

 on the clay be really the marks of rain or hail (a specimen U before 

 us, and it certainly resembles such impressions on clay), perhaps the 

 easiest way of comprehending the preservation of them is to suppose 

 dry sand drifted by the wind to have swept over and filled up the 

 foot-prints, rain-pita, and hollows of every kind which the soft argil- 

 laceous surface had received, (iholoyical Proceedinoi, 1839.) 



HAISINS, Dried Grapes. [Vma.] 



l: A I.I. II). K, a family of Birds belonging to the Grallie of Linnams, 

 OraUntoret of llliger. The species are commonly called Rails. 



I'.riwon placed the ItaiU in the first section of his 17th order, with 

 the Lapwings, the Jacana, the Pratincole, Ac. 



The genus Ralltu of Uumcus consisted of Rails properly so called ; 

 and the tptcias in the last edition of the ' Systema Naturae,' as left 

 by him, were Crtx aquatint, C. Ponana, C. futcut, C. ilrialut, C. 

 tonjuaitu, C. Pkilippauu, C. Benghalentu, C'. Carolinut, and C. 1'i'r- 

 yiniamtu. The genus U placed in the order Orator (the fourth), 

 between Pom and Ptopkia. 



Latham also gave it a place among the Oral/a (his seventh order), 

 between the Pratincole and the Jacana. 



LaoepM* arranged Kalliu among his Oiseaux de liivage, in his thirty- 

 third order (birds with a straight and compressed bill), between the 

 //low and Seoftu. 



In M. Dumcril s system Rallut U placed in the first family (Press!- 

 rostra or Ramphostcnra) of his fifth order, Echassien, between the 

 Jacanas and OysUreatchen (llcematojnu). 



Illiger'a Matrodartyli, bt<onging to hi* sixth order, Grallatortt, 

 include the genera 1'arra, Ra'.lut, and Ores. 



In Cuvicr's fifth order, Kchtuien, Rail** appears in it* fifth family, 

 Macrodactyles, between the Kimichu (PalamtJea) and the Fulicrr. 



M. Vieillot's second tribe (T,tradactyli) of bis fourth order (Echan- 

 >Wn) include*, among inanv otl er families, the Macrodactylra, inclu- 

 ding; UK genera Rallut, Ponana, Porpkyrio, and Gallinula, The 

 MacrodactylM are placed between the Macronyches (Jacana) and the 

 I'innatipodea (Fuliea, Pkalaroput, Ac.). 



M. Temminrk placea ttalltu between Scobpax and GaUinuta, in bis 

 Ihirtrentli order (Oralles). 



In M. D Blainville's system Rallut 1s also placed among the 

 Macrodaoiylea, in the order (Irallatortt. 



The Macrodactylrs of M. Latreille form the sixth family of his fourth 

 onler, Kcbsssien, and comlat of the Jacana, Kamichi, and Chauna. 



M. l.eon makes the Itallusinces, the fourth family, according to 

 Liu', of the Echaaskn, oonsi-t of the genera Jacana (I'arra), Pala- 



Cluuata, Glanola, Kallut, Crer, Gallinula, Porpkyrio, Podoa, 

 and Fniiea. The lUlloainoa* are placed between the Scolopacida and 

 the t'liaradriacUr. 



In Mr. Swainaon ' ' Synopsis ' the RallitUe are placed between the 

 Tanlatida and Scohpaeidte, and consist of the following genera : 

 I'arra, Porpkyrio, J-'ulica, Jialltu, tiiillinula (with the sub-geuu* 

 Aleclhelia). 



The genera of Rallida (which family he places between the Scolo- 

 pacida and the Phaleropodidit), enumerated by Prince Bonnparto in 

 his ' Birds of Kurope and North America,' consist of Aramui, Vieill., 

 lialliu, Linn., Orlyyoaietra, Leach, O'aUintUa, Brias. (Stagnicola, Brisa.), 

 Fulica, Linn., and Porphyrio, Ray. 



The RMitl<r, \n Mr. O. R. O ray's 'List of the Genera of Birds,' 

 are the fifth and last family of the Grallalorei, and immediately pre- 

 ceded by the Palamtdeidit (which embrace the genera I'arra, Ctiauna, 

 Palamtdta, and AUcthclia). The order Xatatora follows. 



The following are the subfamilies and genera of Mr. G. R. Gray's 

 RaUida: 



Sub-Family L RaUina. 



Genera. Ortygometra, Ray (Rallut, Linn., Porpkyrio, Brias., t';tr, 

 Bechst, Gallinula, Lnth.). 



Ponana, Vieill. (Kallui, Linn., Gallinula, Lath., Zajtofnia, Leach). 



Xalliu, Linn. (Gallina (Gallinula 1), Ray). 



Ocydromut, Wagl. (Kalliu, Forat). 



Sub-Family II. 



Porphyrio, Bliss. (Pulica, Linn., (ialtinula, Lath.). 

 Gallinula, Kay (Fulica, Linn., Jlydroyallina, Lac^p., Slagnicola, 

 Urchin.). 

 Fulica, Linn. 



Sub-Family III. Htliornina. 



J/iliornit, Bonn. (Plotut, GmeL, Pudoa, 111., Colymbut, Bodd.). 



J'odica, Leas. (2/eliornu, YieilL, Podoa, Boie, Rhigdura, Wagl.). 



Wo proceed to notice some of the leading forms of this family : 



Kallidir. Feet very large ; bill iu general short, and greatly com- 

 pressed ; tail excessively short, nearly hidden by the covers ; hinder 

 toe elevated. (Swainson.) 



Parra. Bill straight, slender, moderate ; feet very long ; toes and 

 claws of enormous length ; the latter straight or recurred ; corpus 

 generally armed with acute spur?. (Swainson.) 



Farm AJriratu. 



Mr. Swainson remarks that the Jacacas or Pai-ne are wading bird*, 

 somewhat analogous, both in structure and habit*, to the European 

 Water-Hen; but in their native haunts from not being disturbed, 

 they are less shy. " The number of these birds," says Mr. Swainson, 

 "on the lakes of Brazil, the elegance of their movements, and their 

 fearlessness of man, excite an interest in the traveller who journeys 

 through regions ornamented alone by nature. They arc very light 

 birds, and their long toes spreading over a wide surface enable them 

 to walk on the floating leaves of aquatic plants with as much facility 

 as if they were on land. In such situations their appearance is really 

 delusive ; for their pressure being sufficient to sink the surrounding 

 l<-:if ju-t below the surface, the birds actually appear to walk upon 

 the water." (' Zool. Ill,' second series). 



