126 PTERYLOGRAPHY. 



touches the point of the lower jaw (Plate VIII, fig. 7), and the inferior space reaches considerably 

 beyond the middle of the neck. But the spinal space is shorter, and only occupies the lower end 

 of the neck. The main stem of the inferior tract reminds one rather of the structure in Psophia, 

 Aramus, and Dicholophus, as it issues at first from the branch as a single weak row of feathers, 

 and only becomes broader towards the middle or extremity of the breast (fig. 5). The dorsal 

 tract is certainly not strong, but consists of rather small feathers, and is never more than three 

 rows broad. From the end of the neck to the caudal pit it forms an elongated ellipse, which 

 completely encloses a similar, or more properly a lanceolate, space. The very short and simple rump- 

 band terminates in front of the oil-gland, which is small, but yet bears a circlet of feathers. Near 

 the rump-band run the lumbar tracts, which are remarkably long, and dilated externally in the 

 middle ; these even pass somewhat beyond the knee, and appear to extend as far as the inguinal 

 region. Such large and strong lumbar tracts probably occur nowhere else ; nevertheless they 

 are, in general, not united either to the dorsal or crural tracts. The rest of the pterylosis presents 

 nothing peculiar. The axillary tracts are short and not very broad, but strong ; the homogeneous 

 sparse plumage of the wings almost coalesces with them. Beneath the greater part of the wing 

 is a space, down which, on the upper arm, the hypopterum runs. The remiges are short, but 

 broad, and the form of the wing is rather rounded, although the second or third feather is the 

 longest. The rectrices are, however, still more peculiar from their small size and remarkable soft- 

 ness ; they exceed the dorsal feathers but little, if at all, in stiffness. Such peculiar lax rectrices 

 I have seen only in the true Fulicaria. 



To the present group belong the genera Eallus, Crex, Porp/iyrio, and Parra. The first three 

 have twelve tail-feathers and exactly the same pterylosis as that figured (Plate VIII) as occurring 

 in R. aquations. In Parra, of which I have examined all the four principal species (P. sinensis, 

 africana, &nea, and jassand), I found orily ten tail-feathers, and a remarkable narrowing of the 

 bands of the dorsal tract close behind the shoulder-blades ; whilst, on the other hand, the hind- 

 most, or pelvic portion of it, was dilated. This genus also has weaker lumbar tracts, and these are 

 united with the uropygial portion of the dorsal tract by sparse contour-feathers. Of the three other 

 genera, I have examined the following species: 1, PorpJiyrio hyacinthinus ; 2, Creces-pratensis, 

 porzana, pusilla,phoenicurus, and later alis ; 3, Hullus aquaticus. In all these the number of remiges 

 varied, according to the size of the bird, between twenty-one and twenty-four, of which ten were 

 always seated on the pinion. The first is rather abbreviated, as is also the second in the species 

 of Crex, but not in Jtallus nor Porphyrio. The Crakes also have the broadest and most rounded 

 remiges, for in Porphyrio these are much more pointed. 



II. With broad tract-bands, and no separated branch on the inferior tract. 



To this group belong the genera Gallinula, Fulica, and Podoa. With the same form of 

 inferior tract, distinguished by a general dilatation on the breast, in which the outer branch is 

 indicated by the sudden narrowing of the tract at the margin of the m. pectoralis major, the 

 dorsal tract presents differences corresponding to those with which we have become acquainted 

 in the preceding group. 



A. The type of Itallus, Crex, Porphyrio, and Parra, makes its appearance here in the genera 



