rallidie — the kails, gallinules, and coots. 83 



Suborder RALLI. 

 Family RALLID-ffi.— The Rails, Gallinules, and Coots. 



Chak. Small or medium- sized wading or swimming birds, with compressed body, 

 very long toes, which are sometimes (in the Coots) lobed along the edges, short, rounded, 

 concave wings, and very muscular thighs. 



The brief diagnosis given above is sufficient to distinguish 

 the Eails, of whatever subfamily, from the Courlans and Cranes, 

 their only near allies. The typical Rails {Rallmm) are of very 

 small to medium size, the typical genus, Ralluft, being charac- 

 terized particularly by a lengthened slender bill, while other gen- 

 era, as Porzana and Crex, have this member comparativel3^ 

 short and thick. The Coots and Gallinules have the base of 

 the culmen continued upon the forehead, where it widens out 

 into a more or less gibbous or expanded plate or frontal shield. 

 The Coots, however, are peculiar in having the toes fringed with 

 scalloped flaps or lateral lobes. 



The three subfamilies occurring in North America may be 

 thus distinguished : 



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



much elongated. 

 Gallinulinae. A frontal process, as in FuUcinoe ; toes without lateral lobes; size lai-ge. 

 Fulicinae. A frontal process, as in GalUnulince; toes with a lateral lobed margin; size 



large. 



The several subfamilies having thus been defined, the North 

 American genera may be characterized as follows: 



Subfamily RALiLIN^.— The Rails. 



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



1. Eallus. (Page 89.) 



B. Bill stout, not more than two thirds the tarsus (usually much less). 



2. Porzana. Middle toe about equal to or slightly longer than tarsus; base of gonys 

 not forming a decided angle ; middle of culmen decidedly depressed or concave. 

 (Page 92.) 



5. Crex, Middle toe shorter than tarsus; base of gonys forming a decided angle; 

 middle of culmen scarcely appreciably depressed. (Not yetfound in Illinois.) 



Subfamily GALLINULIN-ffi.— The Gallinules. 



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

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

 quadrate scutellffi. 



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

 decided indication of lateral membrane ; inner posterior face of tarsus covered 

 with several irregular rows of small hexagonal scales. 



