GRALLATORI^. 35S 



the first and slight vestige of tlie spur pf the Palamedeae. Tlie membrane 

 between the external toes is very short; between the internal ones it is 

 somewhat larger. The eggs are very disproportionate in size to that of 

 the bird. 



One species is tufted almost like the Chavaria, — the Megap. Du- 



perrey, Less, and Garn., Voy. de Duperr. ZooL, pi. 37- Two others, 



the M. de Freycinet and M. de Lapeyrouse, Quoy and Gaym. Voy. 



de Freycin, pi. 28 and 27, and Col. 220, are destitute of the tuft*. 



A fourth, which is smaller, the Alcctelie de Durville, Voy. de Dup., 



pi. 38, appears to have no tail. 



Of the tribe whose wings have no armature, Linnaeus comprises in his 

 genus Fulica such as have their bill prolonged into a sort of shield, 

 which partly covers the forehead; and, in his genus Rallus, those in 

 which tliis peculiarity does not exist. 



R.\LLUs, Lin. 



The Rails, which, in other respects, have a strong, mutual resemblance, 

 present bills of very different proportions. 



Among the species in which it is longest, the Rallus, Bechst., is 

 placed 



Ral. aquaticus, L. ; Rale d'eau d' Europe, Enl. 749 ; Naum. 20, 

 f. 41. (The Water Rail). A fawn-coloured brown, spotted with 

 blackish above ; bluish ash colour beneath ; the flanks striped with 

 white and black ; it swims very well in ponds and rivulets, and runs 

 lightly over the leaves of aquatic plants ; it feeds on small shrimps, 

 and its flesh has a marshy odourf . 



Other species have a shorter bill, Crex, Bechst., among which we 

 iRnd 



Ral. crex, L.; Le Rale de genets, Enl. 750; Frisch, 212, B; 

 Naum. 5, f. 5. Fawn-coloured brown, spotted with black above; 

 greyish beneath : flanks streaked with black ; red wings. It lives 

 and builds in the fields, running through the grass with great cele- 

 rity. Its name, Crex, expresses the sound of its note. It has been 

 called the ■Quail-King, because it arrives and departs with those 

 birds, and leads a soUtary life on the same grounds, from which arose 

 the conjecture that it was their leader. It feeds on grain, as well as 

 on worms and insects. 



Ral. porzana, L. ; La Marouelte, Enl. 751 ; Frisch, 211 ; Naum. 



• The Megap. Duperrey is called Tavon in Manilla. Although liardly as large as 

 a partridge, it lays an egg equal hi size to that of a goose. Add the Megap. a piedt 

 rouges, Col. 411. 



f There is a variety or species at the Cape, Rallus carukscetis, Cuv., the black and 

 white stripes of whose abdomen are merely a little more extended. Add, of the 

 Water Rails: Ral. virgi7uanus, Edw. 729; Wils. LXII, 1; — crepitans, lb. 2; — lovgi- 

 rostris, Enl. 849; — variegatus, Enl. 775; — philippensis, Enl. 77'i;—torquatus; — stria- 

 tus; — the Fulica cayennensis (which is a true Rail), Enl. 352, as well as the Gallinula 

 gigas, Spix.xcix; — sarracura, Id.XCVIII; — mangle, Id. XCVII; — rujiceps, Id. XCVI, 

 and carta, Id. XCV. — The Ral. Justus, Enl. 773, begins to have a shorter bill. 



VOL. I. F I 



