RALLID^ - THE RAILS — RALLUS. 351 



and Crex, have this member eoiuparatively short and thiek. The Coots and Gallinules 

 have the base of the cuhnen eontiiiued u])ou the forehead, where it widens out into a 

 more or less gibbous or expanded phite or frontal sliield. The Coots, however, are 

 peculiar in having the toes fringed with scalloped flaps or lateral lobes. 



The three sub-families of liall'ukv oceurriug in Xorth America may be thus 

 distiuguislied : — 



Ralliuse. No frontal process ; toes without lateral lobes ; size variable ; bill sometimes 



iiiiuli elongated. 

 Gallinuliuae. A frontal process, as in Fulicinas ; toes without lateral lobes ; size large. 

 Fulicinae. A frontal process, as in Gallinulinx ; toes with a lateral loljed margin ; size 



large. 



The several sub-families luiving thus been deflned, the North American genera 

 may be characterized as follows : — 



Suu-F.\MiLY RALLIN.1?."— The True Rails. 



A. Bill slender, equal to or longer than the tarsus. 



1. Rallus. [Characters as aljove.] 



D. Bill stnut. not more than two thirds the tarsus (usually much less). 



2. Porzana. Middle toy about equal to or slightly longer than tarsus ; base of gonys not 



forming a decided angle ; ndddle of cuhnen decidedly depressed or concave. 



3. Crex. Middle toe shorter than tareus ; base of gonys forming a decided angle ; middle of 



cuhnen scarcely appreciably depressed. 



Si-B-F.\Mii,Y OALLINrLlX^E. — The Gallinules. 



4. lonornis. Xnstril small, oval ; middle toe shorter than tarsus ; toes without trace of 



lateral membrane ; inner posterior face of tareus with a single row of large quadrate 

 scutelUv. 



5. Gallinula. Nostril elongated, slit-like ; middle toe longer than tarsus ; toes with a 



decided imlication of lateral membrane ; inner posterior face of tarsus covered with 

 several irregular rows of small hexagonal scales. 



Sub-family FULICIN.^. — The Coots. 



U, Fulica. Nostrils, and proportionate length of toes and tarsus, as in Gallinula ; toes 

 bordered with a very wide, scalloped, lateral membrane ; inner posterior face of tarsus 

 covered with small scales, as in Gallinula.^ 



Genus RALLUS, Lixn,eus. 

 EaUus, LiXN'. S. N. ed. 10, 1758, 153 ; ed. 1-2, 1766, 261 (type, R. aqualiciK, Linn.). 



Char. Bill longer than the head, rather slender, compressed ; upper mandilile slightly curved ; 

 nostrils in a long groove, and with a large membrane ; wings short ; tertiary quills long, t^'equently 

 longer than the primaries ; tail very short ; legs moderate ; tarsus shorter than the middle toe, and 

 covered on all sides with transverse scales ; toes long and rather slender ; inner toe rather shorter 

 than the outer ; hind toe short and weak. 



This genus contains numerous species, inhabiting all the temperate countries of the world, and 

 very similar in their habits, and frequently in appearance. Their long toes enable them to run 

 over and clindj amongst aquatic plants with great iacilitv. 



1 A South American genus, Poiyhi/riops, Pucherax, belonging to the Gallinulinne, is much like Gal- 

 linula, but has the lateral margin to the toes more decidedly develojied, the gonys very short, and much 

 ascending terminally, the culraen very straight, and tlie frontal shield small and very pointed. 



