114 



BAILS. 



a. Long-billed Rails. Rallus. 



Bill, longer than head, and slightly curved ; color, red 01 

 reddish beneath without prominent black markings, fig. 130. 



1. KING KAIL, R. ELEGANS. 18.00; bill, 2.50; ashy- 

 red above distinctly streaked with dark-brown ; chestnut-red 

 on wing coverts and be- Fig. 130. 



neath ; dusky-brown on 

 under wing coverts and 

 flanks banded with 

 white; throat, line from 

 bill to over eye, and ab- 

 domen white; iris, bill 

 and feet, brownish, fig. $ 

 130. Eastern U. S., north | 

 to the middle states and 

 ca su all y to Mass., Me. "^jp 

 and Ontario. Occurs 

 usually on fresh-water M, A, a, 1. 1-6. 



marshes but occasionally found on salt marshes. Common. 

 Breeds in May. 



2. VIRGINIA RAIL, R. YIKGJNIANUP. Similar to 1 but 

 smaller, 9.25; bill, 1.50. Young, much darker, nearly black 

 in earlier stages. N- A. from the British Provinces south to 

 the Gulf of Mexico. Migrates southward in early Oct. to 

 winter from the Carolinas to Guatemala ; occasionally found 

 jn Cuba; comes north in early April. Common, frequenting 

 bushy marshes. Breeds in early June. Besides the harsh, 

 rail-like craking rapidly given, it gives a chucklin'gnote when 

 slightly alarmed and a sharp squeak when much annoyed 

 The downy young keep up a constant peeping when running 

 about in the marshes. 



3. CLAPPER RAIL, R. CEEPITANS. 14.00; bill, 2.25; 

 Differs from 1 in being bluish-ash above indistinctly streaked 

 with greenish-brown ; reddish of wings and ben ath paler 

 tinged with bluish on breast ; dusky of lower parts bluish; 

 throat, creamy; line in front of eye, reddish, fig 131. Atlan- 



