364 



ALECTORIDES. 



region black, with a few of the feathers iiiar^'iiifil witli brownish nlivi'. Wing-coverts and \v\nf^< 

 nearly as in ailult, a little (liillcr .iikI (hirkcr, iierhai)s. Suiiurciliary line obscure ashy. Tlnoiii 

 ashy white, finely siiotted with Maik. Central ref,'i()U of lower breast and abdomen, with a few cif 

 the feathers nn the sides, tiii},'ed with wliite. Anal rej^ion-and crissuni ihdl reddish eliestnut. In 

 my cabinet, from f'ambri(l},'e, Mass., August, 1875. Several otlii'r s|)('ciniens of corresiionding iij^'cs 

 a},'ree closely with the one above describwl. A male, however i('anibridj,'e, Auj,'. 9, IfS"")), dillVrs 

 inhavin<5a faint reddisli wash over the white on the breast and abdomen" (Brewkteu, Bull, Nutt. 

 Orn. Club, .Tan. 187!), p. 45). 



Total len^'th, about 7.50 inclies ; wing, ;j.!)()-4.25 ; culmen, 1.45-l.(i(t ; tarsus, 1.3(t-l.4() ; mid- 

 dle toe, 1.20-1.40. " Bill dark brown, the lower mandible and edges of upper yellowish brown ; 

 iris bright red ; feet yellowish brown tinged with olive ; claws more dusky" (Auuubon). 



This sjjccies is very mucli like R. rligans in miniature, being exceedingly similar to that species 

 in coloration. Close examination, however, reveals several important differences, the more obvious 



of which are the following : the whole plumage is darker ; the sides of the head more unifornily 

 and distinctly plumbeous ; the sides and abdomen are cinnamon, like the breast, instead of being 

 respectively barreil, like the flanks, and plain buff or whitisli ; the lining of the wing is not barreil 

 like the flanks, but has dusky and white irregularly mixed, the latter color being on the border 

 and tips of the featliers. There is apparently more of individual variation in this than in any 

 of the larger species, scarcely two examples being closely alike. The chin and throat niiiy be 

 distinctly white, or the cinnamon may extend forward entirely to the bill ; .some specimens iiiive 

 the lores decidedly dusky, othei's, clear plumbeous, like the auriculars ; the crissum is sonu'tinies 

 plain cinnamon, the concealed bases of the feathers dusky, but oftener is white, tinged with cinna- 

 mon. One example (an adult male, Xo. 84077, U. S. Nat. Mus , Riverdale, 111,, May 3, E. W. 

 Nelson) has the flanks dark lirown, witli the bars nearly obsolete. No. 7057 (National Museinu 

 Collection), from St. Louis, Mo., also an adult male, collected May (i (\V. S. Wood), has the lower 

 parts dull grayish brown, browner on the breast, almost slaty on the abdomen and tibiae. There 

 seems to be no geographical variation, however, notwithstanding the exten.sive range of the species, 

 specimens from ("Uiatemala, Mazatlan, Sonora, California, and Washington TeiTitory being cpiite 

 identical with others from the Eastern United States. 



The Virginia Rail has the most extended distribution of any of this family, being 

 foitnd, at certain seasons, throughout the entire United States, from Florida to tlie 

 extreme eastern limits of Elaine, and from the Atlantic to tlie Pacific. It occurs in 

 great numbers in Canada, especially in the western portion, and has been found 

 breeding as far north as Big Island by ^Fr. B. Ivoss. It is also very abundant in Illi- 

 nois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and others of the Western and Northwestern States. It 

 is a winter resident of Cuba, but is not known to breed there ; nor is it given by 

 either Gosse or Marsh as being foitnd in Jamaica. In Central America it appears to 

 be rare, only a single specimen being on record as noticed there ; this is mentioned 

 by Salvin as having been taken ;it Antigua, in Guatemala, in September, 1859. on 

 one of the cochineal plantations. This species is abundant in the winter months in 



