UALLin.K — TIIK RAILS — RALU'S. 



867 



Compared witli tlir lar},'t'r simmmcs {/,'. /niH/lni/ifris, willi its ract-s, /i. i/ii/hvm luul 

 U.ohsoh'fiiK), it is (iiHicuit tn siiy ti) wliich this Itiiil is most in-arly vcliitptl. Ntmc of tlu' 

 luiins of //. /oiii/irnsfrl.s, Ikiwcvit. iiccil close <-i)iii|iarisoii, the (larkcst-rdlon'd race of 

 iliat species (A*. iitiii/lnisfrlK .infiini/iis, from Luuisiaiia) having,' liroader blaek stripes 

 aiiil a very dilfereiit (asli->,'ray) f,'roiiiid-<'olor above ; tlie breast, etc. a very iiiueh (hdler 

 iiiid liKliti'i' eiiiiiainon, and tiie tiank-bars broader and on a nniform ^M'onnd-4'(ilor. A*. 



(;//.s«.//7//,s af,M'ees liest in tb loration of ijie npper parts, wbicli. liowever. in all s]ieei- 



iiii'iis (iiicindin;; one from San (.tnentin liay. on tiie western side of Lowei' Calii'ornia) 

 hiive a lij^liter. and in some a decidedly j,M'ayer. j,'rouud-color ; but tlie white Hank- 

 hiirs are nnich broader, with nnieolorcd inteispaees. the breast very eonspicnonsly 

 |i;der, and the size eonsi(lerai)ly ;,'reater. A', ilitjuiis has also the iireast paler, the 

 t,'niiind-«'olor of the iipp«'r parts a li;,diter and much more yellowish (dive, ami the 

 iilick stripes much more sharply detined. I'lion tlie whole. I see no other way than 

 1(1 consider the specimen in (piestion as representing; a very distinct species or local 

 nice, whicdi i take },'reat pleasure in nandng after its collector. 



[NoTK. — Since the iibovo was written, tin- Nulidnal Museum lia> rcrcivi'd two iidditional »\wv\- 

 imiis. a uiali' luuf a fciualc. cipllcctccl liy .Mr. licldiu^' at bu i'az in .lanuarv, \xx',\. Tlicsc af,'rce 

 I'liisi'ly with the type, from Ksjiiritu .Saut'i Island, thus fully cslalilisliin^' the validity of the 



f-]iei'iu».J 



Rallus obsoletuB. 



THE CAUFOBNIA CLAPPER RAIL. 



? RalhiH flrf/nns, t.'oor. k .SrcKi.. I'aiitic K. It. l{f|i. .Ml. ii. 18«(», 24(1 (Wnshington Terr.). 

 Jlalliis rlniniiH, var. ohmi/ct lis, Uinfiw. Am. Nut. VIII. Is74, 111. — Couks, t'litck List, A|iii.l873,137, 



no. 4<iti ((. 

 Hii/Ziis ilifjiiiis, 1). iibsiiHiis, Ciiris, Itirds N. W. 1>>74, "ilt.'i. 

 i;nllii.H dIisuIcIiis, KiiMiw. bull. Null. Hm. I'luli. V. no. :t. ,liily, 18H0, ]:»l»; Xoin N, Am. B. 1881, 



no. .'iTo. 

 l{iiHilH liiiigirdslris nhsuhlils. Cocks, Cliock List, ill cd. 18S"J, no. (574. 



Il.\u. Salt-marshes of the Pacilic coast, siatlh to San (^ucntiu Hay, Lower ('aliforniii, luuth to 

 AViisliinjrtoti Territoiy (?). 



Sp. ("hau. Ailiilf : Above, grayish olivaccons, indistinitly stri]«'<l with Lrownisli black ; crown 

 aiiil n.i|ic browid.sli dusky ; a llj,'lit Lrown sn|iralorul stripe ; lores and snliorbital re^^ion dusky 

 liinwiiisli ; chin and throat white ; rest o!' head imd lUM'k, with jn^nilum and breast, lij,'ht ciima- 

 niiiii, as in It. iliijiniii : Hanks and sides |,'i'ayi?)i brown, with narrow Lars of wjiito (bars about 

 .iis-.jo ol' an inch wide, tiic intcrsjiaccs .-Jo to ..'lo) ; .ixillars and lininj,' nl' winj; siindar, but darker, 

 the white bars narrower ; anal rcj;ion and middle of alHlonicn ]>lain jialc bulf; i^'issiiin brown or 

 diKky, barreil with white, the lateral feathers neatly itninaculate white. Win;^'-co verts umber- 

 liiiiwn ; reinijics |dain dusky ; rcctriccs j,'iayisli idi\c, obsolcttdy dusky centrally. Ihnniij ijimiuj : 

 Uniform j^'lossy Mack ; bill Link and whili^Ii (the latter on end and around nostril). 



Total '.clioth, about I7.0(l-IK(H1 iiiclies ; win^-. (;.40-(i.(iO ; cullneli, 2.2.'>-2 .'iO ; loa.st depth of 

 l.ill (tlii(aio|i middle), .:i2-.:i.') ; tarsu.s, -LW-l-lh; iniddle toe, i>.(K>-2.1.5. 



The Salt-water Marsh-hen of the Pacific coa.-^t differs t'roni that of the Atlantic seaboaid in the 

 iimri! olivaccms upper jiarts, with vi'iy tli.stinct dusky stri|)cs, and decided ciniiiunon-color of the 

 lifcast, ill which rospect.s it approaches the Fresh-water species (/»'. elfijunii), the reseiiibLmce to 

 which is so ^;roat in tlit^ last respect that the bird was oii;,'inally described as a vai'iety of It. tkijnns. 

 'flic colors and inarkinos of the llauks, liowever, as well as its jieculiiir habitat, ])rove its ivlatioii- 

 sliip to be rather with U. hnginiKtriii. We here treat it ns an independent species, for the reason 

 tliiit it is isolated (ieo^^rnphicMlly from any of the races of It. lomjirostria, while it may also always 

 1m' di.stinguished by its peculiar colors and proiiortiona. 



