364 ALECTORIDES. 



region black, with a few of the feathers margined with brownish olive. Wing-coverts and -mngs 

 nearly as in adult, a little duller an<l darker, perhaps. Superciliary line obscure ashy. Throat 

 ashy white, finely spotted with Ijlack. Central region of lower breast and abdomen, with a few of 

 the feathers on the side.s, tinged with white. Anal region and crissum dull reddish chestnut. In 

 my cabinet, from Cambridge, Mass., August, 1875. Several other specimens of corresponding ages 

 agree closely with the one above described. A male, however (Cambridge, Aug. 9, 1875), differs 

 in having a faint reddish wash over the white on the breast and alidoinen" (Brewster, Bull. Nutt. 

 Orn. Club, Jan. 1879, p. 4.j). 



Total length, about 7.50 inches ; wing, 3.9U-4.25 ; culnien, 1.45-1.(50 ; tar.sus, 1.30-1.40 ; mid- 

 dle toe, 1.20-1.40. ■' Bill dark brown, the lower mandible and edges of upper yellowish brown ; 

 iris bright red ; feet yellowish brown tinged with olive ; claws more du.sky " (Audubon). 



This species is very much like R. ehgans in miniature, being exceedingly similar to that species 

 in coloration. Close examination, however, reveals several important differences, the more obvious 



of which are the following : the whole plumage is darker ; the sides of the head more uniformly 

 and distinctly plumbeous ; the sides and abdomen are cinnamon, like the breast, instead of being 

 respectively barred, like the flanks, and plain buff or whitish ; the lining of the wing is not barred 

 like the flanks, Ijut has du.sky and white irregularly mixed, the latter color being on the border 

 and tips of the feathers. There is apparently more of individual variation in this than in any 

 of the larger species, scarcely two examples being closely alike. The chin and throat may be 

 distinctly white, or the cinnamon may extend forward entirely to the bill ; some specimens have 

 the lores decidedly dusky, others, clear plumbeous, like the auriculars ; the crissum is sometimes 

 plain cinnamon, the concealed bases of the feathers duskj', but oftener is white, tinged with cinna- 

 mon. One example (an adult nude. No. 84677, U. S. Nat. Mus , Riverdale, 111., May 3, E. AV. 

 Nelson) has the flanks dark brown, with the bars nearly obsolete. No. 7057 (National Museum 

 Collection), from St. Lotus, Mo., also an adult male, collected May 6 (W. S. Wood), has the lower 

 parts dull grayish brown, browner on the breast, almost slaty on the abdomen and tibise. There 

 seems to be no geogi-aphical variation, however, notwithstanding the extensive range of the species, 

 specimens from Guatemala, Mazatlan, Sonera, California, and AVashington Territory being quite 

 identical with otiiers from the Eastern United States. 



The Virginia Rail has the most extended distribution of any of this family, being 

 found, at certain seasons, throiighout tlie entire United States, from Florida to the 

 extreme eastern limits of Maine, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific. It occurs in 

 great numbers in Canada, especially in the western portion, and has been found 

 breeding as far north as Big Island by Mr. B. Boss. It is also very abundant in Illi- 

 nois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and others of the Western and Northwestern States. It 

 is a winter resident of Cuba, but is not known to breed there ; nor is it given by 

 either Gosse or Marsh as being found in Jamaica. In Central America it appears to 

 be rare, only a single specimen being on record as noticed there ; this is mentioned 

 by Salvin as having been taken at Antigua, in Guatemala, in September, 1859, on 

 one of the cochineal plantations. This species is abundant in the winter months in 



