GRALL.E — RALLIDJ2— ORTYGOMETRA. 
263 
THE NEW-YORK RAIL. 
Ortygoiietra noveboracensis. 
PLATE Cl. FIG. 225. 
(CABINET OF THE LYCEUM.) 
Fulica noveboracensis, Gmelin. Yellow-breasted Gallinule, Pennant, Arct. Zool. Vol. 2, p. 491. 
Rallus ruficollis. Vieillot, Gal. Ois. de l’Am. Vol. 2, pi. 266. 
R. (Crex) noveboracensis . Bonaparte, Ann. Lyc. Vol. 2, p. 335. 
Yellow-breasted Rail. Id. Am.Om. Vol. 4, p. 136, pi. 27, fig. 2 (young?). Richardson, F. B. A. Vol. 2, p. 402. 
Audubon, B. of A. Vol. 5, p. 152, pi. 307. Nuttall, Man. Orn. Vol. 2, p. 215. Giraud, 
Birds of Long island, p. 204. 
Characteristics. Black, varied with rusty, and with numerous narrow transverse white 
bars: beneath bright reddish brown, with dusky bars. Female and 
young, duller ; the legs lineated. Length, 5'5. 
Description. Bill short, robust, compressed, 0 - 6 long : edge of the lower mandible entire. 
Tarsus 0’9 : middle toe and nail 1'2. The naked space of the tibia very small, and covered 
by the feathers to the joint. Hind nail much incurved; the others straight. Second quill 
longest. Tail compressed. Spur on the wing inconspicuous or absent. 
Color. Above, the crown dusky, faintly streaked with rufous. Feathers on the upper 
parts dark brown in their centres, light chesnut on their borders, and crossed with one or two 
narrow white bars, one of them subterminal: these bars appear on the scapulars, tertials, 
lateral tail-coverts and flanks. Quills plain olive-brown. Lores and auriculars dusky brown. 
Line over the eye, and sides of the neck cinnamon-brown. Chin rufous white. Throat and 
breast bright reddish brown, with obscure dusky bars on the sides. Thigh-feathers blackish. 
Length, 5 • 0 - 6 • 0. 
This diminutive Rail has been so little observed, that it has received no popular name. It 
is distributed through the United States in the interior to the Rocky mountains, and along 
the seaboard. It ranges from Louisiana to Hudson’s Bay, breeding in most of the interme¬ 
diate places. The eggs are pure white, and vary in number from ten to sixteen. Its general 
resemblance to the European Quail is such that Latham describes it under the name of Hud- 
sonian Quail. Its food consists of aquatic insects and seeds. It is a shy solitary bird, never 
appearing in flocks like the preceding species. 
(EXTRA-LIMITAL .) 
O. jamaicensis, Briss. (At id. B. of A. Vol. 5, p. 157, pi. 308.) Black: hind part of the back barred 
with white. Beneath, hinder parts and thighs barred with black. Bill black. Legs yellowish 
green. Length, 6"0. New-Jersey to Louisiana. 
Genus Aramus, Vieillot. Bill much longer than the head, compressed, curved, and somewhat turgid 
at the tip. Upper mandible slightly furrowed; lower, turgid about the middle. Nostrils 
wide, linear, pervious. Head wholly feathered. Lores naked. Naked space on the tibia 
