337 



shorter than the middle toe, and covered with transverse 

 scales ; toes long and rather slender, the inner toe shorter 

 than the outer, both free at their bases ; the hind toe short 

 and slender ; the claws short, c ompressed, and very acute. 



628. RallUS SllperciliOSUS, Swains., An. in 



Menag., p. 335. 



PLUMAGE above, brown ; beneath, cinereous ; front with a 

 lateral white stripe before the eye ; chin white ; belly tinged 

 with ferruginous ; flank banded black and white ; lower part 

 of back and tail black ; feet and bill red. Length, 12". 

 Inhabits South Africa, Swain, loc. cit. Non vidi. 



629. Rallus Coerulescens, Gmei. ; Cuv., Vol. 3, 



p. 402; Shaw, Vol. 12, p. 211; E. Gaffer, Forst- 

 Descr. Anim,, p. 50. 



UPPER parts of head, neck, and body, reddish-brown ; the 

 chin, fore part of neck and breast, pale slate-colour ; the 

 flanks transversely striped with black and white. Length, 

 8" ; wing, 4J" ; tail, 1". 



This Rail has reached me from several different places in the colony ; 

 but seems to be nowhere plentiful. Mr. Cairncross has sent it from 

 Swellendam ; Mr. Jackson from Nel's Poort ; Mr. Arnot from 

 Colesberg. 



630. Rallus Madagascariensis, Smith, s. Af. 



Quar. Jour. 1, p. 80. 



HEAD and chin grey ; neck, breast, and belly, rusty grey- 

 brown ; back rusty-olive, blotched with black; vent barred 

 transversely with reddish white; under tail-coverts white; 

 point of bill and upper surface of upper mandible, blackish- 

 brown, the other parts of the bill yellowish. Length, 8J" 

 Inhabits South Africa, teste Dr. A. Smith. Sed non vidi. 



631. RallUS AquatiCUS, Linn. ; PL Enl. 749 ; 



Rallus Sericeus, Leach. ; Scolopax Obscurus, Gmel. ; 

 Gould's B. of Eur., PI. 339 ; Bewick's Brit. Bh\ls, p. 1 37. 



THROAT whitish ; sides of head, neck, breast, and belly, 

 ashy lead- colour ; the feathers on the upper parts of the 

 body reddish-brown, with a deep black mark in the centre of 

 each ; flanks black, transversely rayed with white bars ; under 

 tail-coverts white ; bill red, shaded with brown at the tip ; 

 irides orange. Length about 12". 



Mr. Gurney (Ibis Vol. 1859) quotes this species from Natal. I have 

 not met with it. 



