158 RA.-LLWJE, 



b. Bill from gape much shorter than tarsus. 

 c'. No frontal shield. 



a". 2nd quill longest, 1st between 6th and 



7th. 



a 3 . Tarsus longer than middle toe with- 

 out claw CREX, p. 162. 



b 3 . Tarsus shorter than middle toe .... PORZANA, p. 163. 

 b". 3rd to 6th quills longest, 1st shorter 



than 8th. 

 c 3 . Tarsus longer than middle toe and 



claw ; plumage banded beneath . . RALLINA, p. 167. 

 d*. Tarsus shorter than middle toe 



without claw ; plumage not banded. AMAURORNIS, p. 170. 

 d'. Upper mandible prolonged on forehead to 



form a frontal shield. 

 c". No lobate fringe to toes. 



e 3 . Plumage not blue ; frontal shield not 



truncated behind. 

 4 . Toes with a narrow straight-edged 



lateral fringe ; sexes alike GALLINULA, p. 175. 



b*. No fringe to toes ; sexes differing . GALLICREX, p. 176. 

 f. Plumage blue; frontal shield trun- 

 cated behind PORPHYRIO, p. 178. 



d 1 '. To^s with a membranous fringe 

 divided into convex lobes; plumage 

 blackish grey FULICA, p. 180. 



Genus RALLUS, Linn., 1766. 



This genus contains the typical Water-Rails. The bill is as long 

 as the tarsus or longer, straight or slightly curved, and compressed ; 

 the nostrils are linear and placed in an elongate groove on each 

 side of the mandible. Wings short, 2nd quill usually longest. 

 1st between 6th and 8th. Tail short. Tarsus slender, shorter 

 than the middle toe in typical species, and always shorter than 

 the middle toe and claw ; toes long, slender, free. Feathers of 

 forehead bristly. 



The genus is almost cosmopolitan. Two species are Indian. 



Key to the Species. 



A brown band from lores to ear-coverts J?. indicus, p. 168. 



No brown band running back behind eye R. aquations, p. ICO. 



1387. Eallus indicus. The Indian Water-Hail. 



Rallus indicus, Blyth, J. A, S. B. xviii, p. 820 (1849) ; id. Cat. p. 286 ; 

 id. J. A. S. It. xxviii, p. 281 ; Adams, P. Z. S. 1858, p. 508 ; Jerdon, 

 B. I. iii, p. 726 ; Hume, S. F. iii, p. 416 ; Blyth, Birds Burm. p. 162 ; 

 JJvme, Cat. no. 914: Hume $ Marsh. Game B. ii, p. 257, pi. ; 

 Legge, Birds Ceyl. p. 778; Gates, B. B. ii, p. 342; Sioinh. # 

 Barnes, Ibis, 1885, p. 135 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 373 ; Reid, 

 8. F. x, p. 453 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xxiii, p. 24. 



