136 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



the brown color lighter and duller. Downy young : " Covered with coarse 

 tufty feathers of a black color." Length 25.00-28.00, wing 11.00-13.00, cul- 

 men 3.50-4.75, tarsus 3.50-5.20, middle toe 3.30-3.50. Eggs 4-7 (sometimes 

 as many as 15 ?), 2.32 X 1-70, pale dull buff, spotted, daubed, and stained with 

 brown and purplish gray. Hab. Greater Antilles, Florida, coast of Gulf of 

 Mexico, and south to Costa Kica (both sides). 



207. A. giganteus (BONAP.). Limpkin. 



a 2 . "White markings confined to head and neck. Wing 12.50-14.20, culmen 4.30- 

 4.70, tarsus 4.60-5.20. Hab. Eastern South America. 



A. scolopaceus (GMEL.). Brazilian Courlan. 1 



FAMILY RALLID^. THE RAILS, GALLINULES, AND COOTS. (Page 134.) 



Genera. 



a 1 . No frontal process, or shield-like extension of bill over forehead. (Subfamily 

 Rallince,} 



b l . Bill slender, as long as, or longer than, the tarsus Rallus. (Page 136.) 



W. Bill stout, not more than two-thirds as long as the tarsus (usually much 



less). 

 c 1 . Middle toe (without claw) not shorter than tarsus ; base of gonys not 



forming a decided angle Porzana. (Page 139.) 



c 2 . Middle toe shorter than tarsus; base of gonys forming a decided 



angle Crex. (Page 140.) 



a 2 . Forehead covered by a shield-like extension of the culmen. 



b l . Toes without lateral lobes or flaps. (Subfamily G-aUmulinas.) 



c 1 . Nostril small, oval ; middle toe (without claw) shorter than tarsus ; 

 inner posterior face of tarsus covered by a single row of large 



quadrate scutell lonornis. (Page 140.) 



c 2 . Nostril elongated, slit-like ; middle toe (without claw) longer than tar- 

 sus ; inner posterior face of tarsus covered with several irregular 



rows of small hexagonal scales Gallinula. (Page 141.) 



b*. Toes provided with conspicuous lateral lobed membranes, or " flaps." (Sub- 

 family Fulicince.) Fulica. (Page 141.) 



GENUS RALLUS LINNAEUS. (Page 136, pi. XL., fig. 1.) 



Species. 



COMMON CHARACTERS. Above brownish or grayish, striped, more or less dis- 

 tinctly, with darker ; chin and upper throat whitish ; fore-neck, chest, and breast, 

 plain cinnamon, varying to buffy grayish ; sides, flanks, and axillars barred with 

 brown or dusky and whitish. Downy young : Entirely uniform glossy black. Nest 



1 Ardea scolopacea GMEL., S. N. i. pt. ii. 1788, 647. Aramus acolopaceut VIJEJLL., Nouv. Diet. N. H. vii. 

 1817, 301. 



