1889. ] SENNETY? on the Clapper Rails. 161 
ceeded in obtaining the head and some wing and tail feathers.” The 
remains I forwarded to Mr. J. A. Allen for comparison and identification, 
and he pronounces it an undoubted specimen of Geotrygon montana, the 
Ruddy Quail-dove, and the first recorded for North America. I wish 
here to express my indebtedness to Mr. Allen for this and many other 
similar kindnesses. I wish also to thank Mr. Atkins who has kindly pre- 
sented the remains of the Dove in question to me. It is No. 3210 in my 
catalogue. 
Milvulus forficatus. Scissor-TAILED FLYCATCHER.—On December 10, 
1888, Mr. J. W. Atkins saw five Scissor-tailed Flycatchers near the town 
of Key West, and secured two of them, a male and a female. He says 
“The birds seen to-day were quite shy and were taken at long range.” 
This is, I believe, the second record for the island of Key West, and it can 
hardly be considered as accidental at that point. 
ite Cob Ph RAMS Ob THE UNITED STATES 
AND WEST INDIES COMPARED WITH RAZLUS 
LONGIROSTRIS OF SOUTH AMERICA. 
BY GEORGE B. SENNETT. 
In ‘Tast. P. E.,’ 1783, Boddaert described Rallus longirostris, 
based on ‘RAale a long bec, de Cayenne,’ Buff., ‘Pl. Enl.,’ 840. 
In 1788 Gmelin described Rallus crepitans (S.N., Vol. I, 
pt. ii, p. 713) based on ‘Clapper Rail, from New York’ (Penn., 
Arct. Zoolwil) 1781, No- 407). 
In 1868 (Proc. Zool. Soc., p. 442) Messrs. Sclater and Salvin 
give an admirable ‘Synopsis of the American Rails.’ In this 
synopsis the New York Rail (crepztazs) is not separated from the 
Cayenne Rail (/ozgzrostris) but is made its synonym. 
In 1874 Mr. Lawrence described MRadlws crasstrostriés (Ann, 
Lyc. N. Y., Vol. X, Feb., 1874). Mr. Lawrence sent the Bahia 
specimen, which differed so much from the crepcztanxs of our 
Atlantic Coast, to England and says, ‘‘on returning it, Mr. Sclater 
wrote, ‘is true Zozgtrostrés, figured Pl. Enl. S49.’” Again Mr. 
Lawrence says, ‘‘I find it agrees with Buffon’s plate (which is of 
reduced size) in the apparent color of the back, also in the form 
and stoutness of the bill”; and again, ‘‘my specimen differed so 
much from crepztans, as well as from all others, that I considered 
