RAILS, GALLINULES, AND COOTS. 



145 



general color of the upper parts is between ochriiceous-bufT nnil erenin-hulf 

 tlie leathers witli hlack centers; the wing- coverts and most of the (quills are 

 pule rufous ; the breast is pule ochraceous-butt' ; the sides are tlie same, burred 

 with white; the iniddle of the l)ully is white. 



818. lonornismartinicafZ//'/'.). PrRiM.KCiAi.MNrLE. Ail. -Front 



of tlie crown with a bare l)luisii pluMil)cous j>latc ; rest of the liead and under 

 parts rich dark purplish blue; under tail-coverts wiiite; back shining; olive- 

 green; wings light blue, tinged with greenish; bill carndne, tipped with pale 

 greenish (in skins, reddisii orange, tipped with yellowish); legs yellow, /i/i. 

 — Upper parts more or less washed with l)rownisli ; under parts more or less 

 mottled with wliite; plate on the head smuller; bill without orange-red. 

 Downy youiitj. — Glossy black, liead with mmierous wiiite, hairlike feathers; 

 base of the bill yellowish, end black. L., U'-OO; W., T'lO ; Tar., 2'-10; li. 

 from posterior margin of nostril, SO. 



JiaiKje. — Tropical America; breeds as far nortli as southern Illinois and 

 South Carolina, and rarely strays northward to Wisconsin and Maine; win- 

 ters from southern Florida southward. 



Long Island, A. V, 



JV*<, a platform of reed stalks l>uilt in rushes over the water or in j'rassy 

 marshes. Aj/^/.*, eight to ten, butl'y wiiite, tinely speckled with rufous- brown, 

 l-OO X 1-15. 



This is a common bird in the Sonthern States. It winters from 

 southern Florida southwiud and mijj^rates northward in iVpril. It is 

 generally found a^^soeiated with the Fk)rida Gallinule, which it resem- 

 bles in habits, but its much brighter color is api)arent at a distance. 



219. Galliniila g^aleata (/^/('/'^.). Flouida Gai.lim-i.e. (8cc Fig. 

 22, (/.) ,((/. — Dark bluish slate-cdlor; back and 8ca])ulars washed with olive- 

 brown; belly whitish; flanks with a few conspicuous white utr^'dh ; under 

 tail-coverts white; crown with a bare, bright-red plate; bill the same color 

 tijiped with yellowish ; legs greenish, reddish at the tibiiP. Im. — Similar, but 

 under parts grnyisli white; crown plate much smaller and with tlie bill 

 brownish; no red on the legs. Dnwinj young. — "Glossy black, the lower 

 parts sooty along the median line; throat and cheeks interspersed with sil- 

 very white hairs" (Ridgw.). L., 13-50; VV., 7-00; Tar., 2-\'^\ B. from poste- 

 rior margin of nostril, -.so. 



liaiKje. — Temperate and tropical America ; breeds locally as far north as 

 Minnesota and southern Maine; winters from the Gulf Slates southward. 



Washington, rare T. V., Apl.; Aug. to Oct. Long Island, uncommon 

 T. v., May; Sept. and Oct. Sing Sing, rare S. R., June 5 to Nov. 5. Cam- 

 bricbrt', uncommon S. R., May 10 to Oct. 1. 



XeMy of rushes on a bed of ruslies or similar slight elevation in marslies, 

 lagoons, or swampy lake sides, A'//;/.?, eight to thirtei-n, bulfy white or ochra- 

 ceous-butl, spotted and speckled with ri'fous-brown, VSU x l-^o. 



There is sometliing about the appearance and habits of Galliiudes 

 which always suggests to mo the thought that they are chickens wlio 

 U 



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