RALLID.E — THE RAILS — PORZANA. 



307 



V Mud- 

 h-watcv 



is Imilil 

 lacod ill 

 , and as 

 I out of 

 iiU' Ktill 

 the lew 

 ibcs till' 

 lu'lics in 

 (' f veil 111- 



]W 'r,n'Cilt 



o broods 

 ig only a 

 .'onts liad 

 lU' down, 

 rt piiiin;-,' 

 and runs 

 distaui'C, 

 peed. 

 Ips Uivi'V 

 n's ratlti'. 

 ; and tlio 

 i;h ncan'v 



n-gia, and 

 past; I lilt 

 on the St. 

 id ho also 

 ntnt'ky in 



this spc- 



>) in my 

 vonnicott, 



^o. I'-'Tl) 

 in these 

 pt about 

 so niark- 



tly hu'i^iT 

 cnt C!j:;j,'s. 



thor. The 



B. N. Am. 

 Jmel.). 



Char. Bill Hhorter than the head, coniprcssud, .straight ; nostrils in a wide j,'ro()Ve, with u large 

 nu'iiihriuiu ; winj,'s moderate , iiriniaries longer than terlials ; tail short ; legs rather robust, the 

 l;u<iis about the length of the middle toe ; toes long, tin; inner one slightly shorter than the outer. 

 ( Ifiieriil form compressed and slender. 



This genu.s contains very numerous species, inhabiting both tumperatu and tropical regions, fru- 

 iiucnting marshea and borders of rivers. In the spring and autumn several species migrate in largo 

 numbers. 



The geuus as here ccnsidered probably retpiii'es subdivision. 



4. 



P. Carolina. 



Wo have not at hand the required material for defining the exact limits of the genus Porzana, so 

 far as its American representatives are concerned. Without, therefore, considering any of the 

 e.-ctraliinital species, it may sullice to say that of the three which pr(ip(,'rly belong to North Amer- 

 ica, one (P. Carolina) is a very near relative of the type of the genus (/'. m<(rni:tta of Europe and 

 (Ircenland), while the other two are ])erhaj)s sutiiciently different to justify generic separation. 

 The species which occur in North America are lour in mnnber, including one which is merely a 

 straggler to Greenland from the Palu;arctic Region. They may be distinguished as follows : — 



Above, russet-olive, with l)lack blotches and irregular, partly longitudinal, streaks of white. 

 (/'())';.(i»a.) 



1. P. maruetta. Neck and lireast olive, speckled with white; (lanks brown, narrowly and 

 irregularly barred whh white. Wing, 4.20-4.40 inches ; culmen, .68-.72 ; tarsus, 1.20- 

 1.30; middle toe, 1.2.')- 1. IS.'). Hah. Palicarctic Region ; casual in Oreenland. 



2. P. Carolina. Neck and breast without white specks ; throat blackisli, and sides of head 

 and neck plumbeous in adult ; throat white, sides of head and neck, with jugulum and 

 breast, fulvous-olive, in young ; Hanks broadly liarred with white and slate-c(dor. Wing, 

 4.15-4.30 inches; culmen, .75-90; tarsus, 1.25-1.35 ; middle toe, 1.3t)-1.45. Hah. 

 North America. 



Above, ochraceous, with broad black stripes and narrow transverse white bars ; secondaries 

 white, forming a conspicuous patch on the extended wing. (^Cotuniicopis.) 



3. P. noveboracenais. Head, neck, and breast ochraceous ; tlanks dusky, barred with 

 whitish ; cri.ssum cinnamon ; lining of wing and axillars white. Wing, 3.00-3.G0 inches ; 

 culmen, ..50-.(jO; tarsus, .05-1.00 ; middle toe, .90-1. (K). Hah. Ea.stern North America. 



Above, blackish brown, speckled with white. (Cncisms.) 



4. P. jamaJceusia. Najie dusky chestnut or sepia-brown; lower parts slate-color or dark 

 plumbeous (the throat sometimes whitish), the posterior portions narrowly barred with 

 white. 



a. jamaicensis. Back speckled with white. Wing, 2.95-3.20 inches ; culmen, .50-.60; 

 depth of bill through lia.se, .2()-.25 ; tarsus, .85-.90 ; middle toe, .85-.95. Hah. Warm- 

 temperate and tropical America, from the United States to Chili. 

 cotiirnicuhts. Back without white specks. Wing, 2.50 inches ; culmen, .60 ; depth 

 of bill through base, .15 ; tarsus, .75 ; middle toe, .85. Hab. Farallon Islands, coast 

 of California. 



B. 



C. 



3. 



« 



iiaj 



