372 RALLIN^. 



greyish- white, the forepart of the neck pale ^ash ; under parts 

 ashy or grey-blue in the males, light rufous buff in female ; lower 

 abdomen and vent deep or olive-brown, spotted with white ; neck 

 behind and shoulder of the wing olive-brown ; back deep olive- 

 brown, the feathers with broad dark mesial stripes, their inner 

 margins pale with some white linear spots and streaks ; primaries 

 and secondaries deep brown with paler edges ; lesser wing-coverts 

 plain dull olive-brown ; tail dusky olive-brown ; under tail- 

 coverts slaty-grey with spots and bars of white. 



Within our limits the Little Rail only occurs in Sind. 



Porzana fusca, Lin. 



911. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 724. 

 THE RUDDY RAIL. 



Length, 8'4 to 87 ; expanse, 1 3'25 to 14'5 ; wing, 375 to 4'25 ; 

 tail, 2-2 ; tarsus, 1'4 to T55 ; bill at front, 0'8 to 0'9 ; bill at gape, 

 0-9 to 1. 



Bill blackish-horny to greenish-brown ; irides red ; legs red, 

 dusky at joints and on toes. 



Forehead, cheeks, and sides of the head, neck, throat, breast, 

 and abdomen, vinous chesnut, albescent on the chin and throat ; 

 upper plumage dull olive-brown, darker on the wings and tail ; 

 lower abdomen, vent, and under tail-coverts, darker olivaceous 

 with white bars. 



The young want the rufous tint and have the entire chin and 

 throat white, and the the rest of the lower surface dull earthy 

 olive-brown, mottled or imperfectly barred with brownish- white. 



According to Jerdon the Ruddy Rail is found throughout 

 India. I cannot find any record of its occurrence within our 

 limits, but probably owing to its skulking habits, it has been 

 overlooked. 



GENUS, Hypotaenidia, Reich. 



Bill somewhat lengthened, straight, or slightly turned down 

 at the tip, slender, grooved for two-thirds of its length ; nostrils 

 linear ; wings with the first quill much shorter than the second 

 or third, and a small spur on the shoulder ; tarsus and toes as in 

 Porzana. The feathers of the forehead somewhat spiny. 



913. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 726, Butler, Deccan ; 

 Stray Feathers, Vol IX, p. 432. 



THE BLUE-BKEASTED BANDED RAIL. 



Length, 9*8 ^to iFFJ expanse, 14*25 to 17*5 ; wing, 4'5 to 

 5-0 ; tail, 1-5 to 2'25 ; tarsus, T35 to T62 ; bill from gape, T35 to 

 1-82 ; weight, 3'6 to 5 oz. 



The colors of the soft parts are extremely variable. 



Top of head and hind-neck dark chesnut; upper plumage 



