470 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. 



word bee-lee. On their arrival from the North, they are 

 very fat, plump, and well flavored, and included, like the 

 preceding and the Marbled Godwit, under the general name 

 of Doe-birds : they are sought out by epicures, and enhance 

 the value of a table entertainment." They frequent the 

 marshes and adjoining pastures, where they feed much upon 

 grasshoppers and other insects and earthworms, which they 

 collect principally towards evening, or early in the morning. 



Tribe 



Species living in marshes, with elevated bodies, much compressed laterally; 

 usually with longer necks than most Snipe, with moderately long, strong, and stout 

 bills, also much compressed, and covered at tip by a horny investment ; the remaining 

 portion membranous, with elongated nasal furrow, and narrow, more or less perfor- 

 ate, nostrils ; the lores are feathered uniformly as in the Limicolce ; the rest of the 

 plumage without the spotting of the Snipes ; wings rather short, more rounded than 

 pointed, and when folded do not reach beyond the short, soft, and feeble tail, in 

 fact, seldom to its base; the outer two or three primaries generally abbreviated; the 

 toes are very long, cleft to the base, thin, and generally with very long claws; 

 the same is the case with the hind toe, which is not only much longer than in the 

 Limicolce, but is generally inserted more nearly on the same level with the anterior 

 ones, touching the ground for most of its extent. 



The species pick up their food on the surface, and do not probe the soft mud in 

 search of it. 



The North-American species of this tribe are few in number, though very abun- 

 dant in individuals. Their habit of close concealment among the reeds and grass 

 of marshy places renders them very difficult of detection, except when their abodes 

 are more or less submerged. 



Sub-Family RALLIN^E. The Rails. 

 RALLUS, LINN^US. 



Rallus, LINN^US, Syst. Nat. 



Bill longer than the head, rather slender, compressed; upper mandible slightly 

 curved ; nostrils in a long groove, and with a large membrane ; wings short ; tertiary 

 quills long, frequently longer than the primaries ; tail very short ; legs moderate ; 

 tarsus shorter than the middle toe, and covered on all sides with transverse scales ; 

 toes long and rather slender; inner toe rather shorter than the outer; hind toe short 

 anu weak. 



1 See Introduction. 



