PiiDGWAY on Ralliis Longirostris. 139 



The Pacific Coast bird, described by me in 1874 (cf. Am. Nat., 

 VIII, p. Ill) as "^. elegcms var. obsoletus," proves to be a true 

 "Clapper" Rail, strictly confined to the salt-water marshes; and 

 were it not for the very wide interval of territory separating it from 

 any race of B. loiigirostris, it might be classed as a form of the 

 latter species. In view of its complete isolation, however, taken 

 together with its peciiliar characters of coloration and form, it seems 

 best to regard it as a distinct species. 



In the following synopsis are included not only R. longirostris and 



its races, but also all the] other known North American members of 



the genus. 



A . Size large {wing more than 5 inches). 



a. Axillars and flanks dusky or reddish umber, with broad white bars 

 (bars about .15 of an inch wide on the flanks), or narrow reddish-white 

 and pale cinnamon bars. 



1. R. elegans. Back and scapulars ochraceous-olive, or yellowish- 

 drab, sharply and conspicuously striped with black ; breast deep cinnamon. 



a. var. elegans. Flanks and sides dusky-brownish, widely and distinctly 

 barred with pure white. Wing, 5.90-6.80; culmen, 2.12-2.50; least 

 depth of bill, .27 - .35 ; tarsus, 2.20 - 2.40 ; middle toe, 1.80 - 2.10. Hab., 

 freshwater marshes of Eastern North America. 



b. var. tenuirostris.* Flanks and sides reddish-umber, narrowly and 

 indistinctly barred with reddish-white and dilute cinnamon ; breast and 

 neck more deeply and uniformly cinnamon than in elegans. Wing, 5.90 ; 

 culmen, 2.00-2.10; least depth of bill, .22; tarsus, 1.80-1.90; middle 

 toe, 1.70. Hab., Mexico (Mazatlan, and city of Mexico). 



b. Axillars and flanks brownish-gray or grayish-brown, with nan-ow white 



bars (about .10 of an inch wide on flanks). 



2. R. obsoletus.f Back and scapulars grayish-olive, indistinctly striped 

 with dusky; breast, deep cinnamon. Wing, 6.40-6.60; culmen, 2.25- 

 2.50; least depth of bill, .32 -.35 ; tarsus, 2.10-2.25 ; middle toe, 2.00- 

 2.15. Hab., salt-water marshes of California. 



3. R. longirostris. Back and scapulars light hair-brown, brownish- 

 gray, or ashy, obsoletely striped with brown (in Gulf-Coast specimens 

 distinctly striped with dusky, much as in R. obsoletus) ; breast pale buff or 

 dull cinnamon. 



a. var. longirostris. Above olive-gray, distinctly striped with van- 



* Rallus elegans tenuirostris, Lawr. 



Futllus elegans var. tciiuirodris, Lawk., Am. Kat., VIII, Feb. 1874, p. Ill 

 (city of Mexico). 



t Rallus obsoletus, Ridgw. 



Rallus elcrjans var. obsoletus, ElDGW., Am. Nat., YIII, Feb. 1874, p. Ill 

 (coast of California). 



