m 

 m 



'» ; 





KH' 



lii. 



140 



RAILS, (JALLINULKS, AND COOTS. 



i\ 



M 



II. Bill iindoriro. 

 J. Wiinfovcr (VOO. 



a. (Jc'iierul color l)luo, f'cct yollow . . . . . 218. I'l Ki-i.i; (Iai.i.imle, 



b. Generul color sluty, foot <lark grccni.sli. 



i>. Toes vitli lartrc kcuUoikmI vvclw or (lups ut tlio side. -2:^1. A.m. Coot, 



/A Toes without tliii>.s or welw '2V.i. Fi.okida {;.\j,i,inlle, 



R Win^' midiT GnO. 



a. Wiuj,' under 3-.")0. 



a>. "?ack lilucki.-ili, with .small round, white spf)ts . 2K.. Black Kail, 

 a». Back hlacki.sh, barred witli white and uiurgincd with bully. 



215. Yellow Kail. 



b. Wing over 8-.")0. 



A>. Bill over lUU 212. Vikoinia Rail. 



(■». Bill under ItiO. 



(■*. Win^ over4'r)0, lesser win<r-eoverts rufous 



f*. Wing under 4-.")n, le.sser wing-eoverts olivo 



217. CoijN Chake, 

 . . 214. 8oua. 



208. Rallus elegans ' . Kino Hail: Maksm Hex. .1»/.— l']ipor 

 parts varying from olive-browr to black, the back and scaimlars widely nuir- 

 gined with olive-gray; wings and tail olive-brown; wing-coverts nifoux ; 

 throat white; neck aiul breast i'i)iii(iiif>)i-riifiiiiii ; bi'lly and sides f'vscoitu, 

 sharply barred with white. Doivny io«/((/— Glo-s.sy black. L., laOO; W., 

 0-50 ; Tar., 2-20 ; B., 2-40. 



liamje. — Ea.stern Nortli America; breeds as far north as Missouri and 

 soutliern f'onnecticut, and oeciusionally strays as far as Wisconsin, Ontario, 

 aiul Maine; winters from Virginia southward. 



Washiiiirton, uncommon S. R., almost a 1'. R. Long Island, rare S. R. 



AV.v^, of grasses, on the ground in fresh-'.\atcr marshes. Kijijx. seven to 

 twelve, bufl'y white, more heavily spotted and s])eckled with rufous-brown 

 than those of the ne.\t species, l-t58 x l'2(t. 



The Kin<; Tijiil is the fresh-wator reprosontative of the Clapper Kail. 

 It is, however, a much less coininon liinl, and less is known of its 

 haliits. Like otiier Kails, it is a skulker, and never flies when it can 

 escape by running or hidinfjj in the den.se gra.ss of its home. On three 

 occasions I have heard what I am quite sure was the King Ivail's call, 

 n loud, startling Jihp, Inip, htip, hup, Mtp, uttered with increasing ra- 

 ])idity until the syllahles were barely distinguishable, then ending, soine- 

 wiuit as it began. The whole perfdrnuince occupied about five seconds. 



Sll. Rallus long^ostris crepitans (CinclA. Clai-i>kr Kail; 



Mausu 11i:x. (St'c Fig. 22, a.) .b/. ~ L'jipcr parts very jude greenish olive, 

 the feathers widely margined with gray; wings and tail grayish brown; 

 wing-coverts pale cinnamon, much washed with gray: throat white; neck 

 and breast j>nl<', between ochraceous and crcam-butl', more or less washed 

 with grayish ; belly and sides gray or brownisli gray, barred with white. 

 Dowinj r-)K//f/— (Mossy black. L., It"')!.); W., .'i-OO ; Tar., 2-00; B., S-.W. 



litinarks. — The Clapper Rail may always be known from the King Kail 



