638 RALLID^E. 



Hume, Sir. F iii. p. 189; Hume and Dav., Str. F. vi. p. 468 ; Legge, JB. 

 Ceylon, p. 775 ; Hume and Marsh., Game Birds ii. p. 245, pi. ; Qates, Br. 

 Burm. ii. p. 339. Rallus striatus, Linn., Syst. Nat. i. p. 262. The BLUE- 

 BREASTED BANDED RAIL. 



Top of head, nape and hind neck chestnut ; upper plumage, including the 

 wing coverts and tertiaries, blackish brown, each feather broadly edged with 

 olive brown and barred with white ; primaries, secondaries and tail dark brown, 

 barred with white ; lores, cheeks, ear coverts, sides of the neck, foreneck and 

 breast bluish grey, tinged somewhat with rufescent ; sides of the body, lower 

 abdomen, vent, under tail and thigh coverts, also the under wing coverts, dark 

 brown, barred with white ; centre of abdomen dull white ; bill rosy pink on the 

 basal half ; remainder horn colour or yellowish green ; irides red ; legs and 

 feet dull greenish or olive brown. The young has not the chestnut head and 

 bluish breast. 



Length. 9*8 to I r$ inches; wing 4-5 to 5 ; tail 1*5 to 2-25 ; tarsus 1*35 

 to 1*62 ; bill from gape 1*32 to 1-82. 



Hal. Southern India, along the bases of the Neilgherries, the Wynaad, 

 Malabar Coast, Southern Konkan, in the Rutnagherry districts and Southern 

 Ceylon. It also occurs in Lower Bengal in the deltaic districts, in the 

 neighbourhood of Calcutta too, as well as in Sylhet, Cachar, Khasia Hills, 

 and the Assam Valley to Sadiya. In Arracan it is said to be fairly common, 

 while in Burmah, Gates says, it is found throughout the whole province, 

 Tenasserim included. It breeds in all localities where they occur, from May 

 to October, making a small nest of grass on the ground near water, sur- 

 rounded by thick vegetation. Eggs, seven in number, of a pinkish stone 

 colour blotched with pale purple. In length they vary from I '28 to 1*41 

 inches, and from 0*98 to 1*13 in width. 



Hypotcenidia olscuriora* Hume, Str. F. ii. p. 302 ; iv. p. 294 ; id. and 

 Marsh., Game Birds 253, pi., is recorded from the Andamans as a separate 

 race, but to my mind it can scarcely stand as a species, and hence it is 

 suppressed. 



Gen. RalluS. Linn. 



Bill moderately long, straight or slightly curved at tip ; shoulder with a 

 small spur ; other characters as in Hypotcenidia. 



1324. Rallus indicus, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xviii. p. 820; Jerd., 



JB. Ind. iii. p. 726; Hume, Str. F. iii. p. 416; Blyth, B. Burm. p. 162; 

 David et Oust. Ois. Chine p. 489; Legge, B. Ceylon p. 778; Hume, 

 Str. F. viii. p. 113 ; Hume and Marsh., Game Birds ii. p, 257, pi. ; Oates, 

 B. Br. Burm. ii. p. 342. The INDIAN WATER RAIL. 



Above, including the sides of the neck, scapulars and tertiaries olive brown, 

 sometimes with a ruddy tinge, each feather with a broad black mesial streak ; 



