57 2 The Water-fowl Family 



Generic Types. Rallus. Bill long, slender, decurved, longer than head, 

 and as long as, or longer than, tarsus. Nasal groove long, deep, and 

 narrow, extending about two-thirds of culmen. Nostrils in basal 

 fourth, long and narrow. Tarsus equal to middle toe without claw. 

 No pronounced angle on mandible. 



Porzana. Bill short, stout, straight, compressed, not longer than 

 head, and not more than two-thirds as long as tarsus. Nasal groove 

 broad, shallow, and extending about two-thirds of culmen. Nostrils 

 in second fourth, broad and oblong. Tarsus not longer, often shorter, 

 than middle toe without claw. No pronounced angle at gonys on 

 mandible. Folded wings not reaching nearly to end of tail. 



Crex. Similar to Porzana, but tarsus longer than middle toe. Folded 

 wings reaching nearly to end of tail. A pronounced angle on gonys. 



Subfamily Gallinulinae. The Gallinules. Type : Forehead with a broad, 

 horny, frontal shield. Toes without lateral lobes. Body somewhat 

 compressed. Bill much as in Porzana. Two genera in North 

 America, Gallinula and lonornis. 



Generic Types. lonornis. Bill very stout and high. Nostrils oval. 

 Tarsus longer than middle toe without claw. Inner posterior sur- 

 face of tarsus covered with a single row of large, square scales. Toes 

 without lateral marginal membrane. 



Gallinula. Bill more slender and not so high. Nostrils elon- 

 gated. Tarsus shorter than middle toe without claw. Inner poste- 

 rior surface of tarsus covered with several rows of hexagonal scales. 

 Toes with narrow marginal membrane. 



Subfamily Fulicinae. The Coots. Type : Bill and frontal plate of head 

 as in Gallinulince. All toes with broad lateral lobes. One North 

 American genus, Fitlica. 



Generic Type. Tarsus heavy, shorter than middle toe without claw, and 

 covered with rather broad scales. Nostrils long and broad, near the 

 middle of the bill. Plumage dark slate. Bill of adults whitish. 



THE SHORE-BIRDS 



Order Limicolae. (The shore-birds, literally translated the " mud-dwellers," 

 so named from the habits of most of the order.) Wading birds, usu- 

 ally of small size with short tails, long and usually pointed wings, 

 usually long and pointed bill, long legs, and elevated, small, or want- 

 ing hind toe, or if hind toe long, claws very long with a spur on the 

 wing, and with prsecocial young. Seven families with nearly seventy 

 species are found in North America. 



