GREAT RED-BREASTED RAIL. 31 



Geeat Red-biieasted Rail, or Fresh-water Marsh Hen. 

 Rallus elegans. 



Adult Male. Plate CCIII. Fig. 1. 



Bill much longer than the head, slender, compressed, very slightly 

 curved, deep at the base. Upper mandible with the dorsal line almost 

 straight until towards the end, where it is slightly curved, the ridge 

 flattish at the base, and extending a little on the forehead, convex to- 

 wards the end ; a deep groove runs on either side parallel to the ridge 

 for two-thirds of the whole length ; the edges inflected, with a very slight 

 notch close to the tip. Nostrils lateral, linear, direct, open and pervious. 

 Lower mandible with the angle very long, extremely narrow, the sides 

 erect, slightly convex, the edges inflected, the tip narrowed. 



Head small, oblong, much compressed. Neck long and slender. 

 Body slender, much compressed. Feet long ; tibia bare a considerable 

 way above the joint ; tarsus rather long, strong, compressed, anteriorly 

 covered with broad scutella, posteriorly with smaller, and on the sides re- 

 ticulated ; hind toe very small and slender, middle toe longest, fourth 

 considerably shorter, and but little longer than the second ; toes free, scu- 

 tellate above, compressed, granulate beneath ; claws of moderate length, 

 arched, slender, much compressed, acute, flat, and marginate beneath. 



Plumage rather stifi\, compact and glossed on the upper parts. Feathers 

 of the head and neck short and blended ; of the forehead with the shaft 

 enlarged, and extended beyond the tip. Wings very short and broad ; 

 alula large ; primaries curved, broad, tapering but obtuse, third longest, 

 second scarcely shorter, first and seventh about equal ; secondaries weak, 

 broad, rounded. Tail very short, much rounded, of twelve feeble rounded 

 feathers ; the upper and lower coverts nearly as long as the tail-feathers. 



Lower mandible and edges of upper brownish-yellow ; ridge of upper, 

 and tips of both, deep brown. Iris bright red. Feet yellowish-brown, 

 tinged with olive ; claws of the same colour. Upper part of head 

 and hind neck dull brown, the bristle-like shafts of the frontal feathers 

 brownish-black ; a brownish-orange hne from the bill over the eye ; a 

 broader band of the same colour from the lower mandible, the interme- 

 diate space dusky ; chin white. The upper parts in general are streaked 

 with brownish-black and light olive-brown, the two sides of each feather 

 being of the latter colour. Wing-coverts dull chestnut, most of them ir- 

 regularly tipped with brownish-white. Alula and primaries deep olive- 



