CLAPPER RAIL. 39 



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

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

 above the joint ; tarsus of moderate length, strong, compressed, and an- 

 teriorly covered with broad scutella, posteriorly with smaller, and on the 

 sides reticulated. Hind toe very small and slender, middle toe longest, 

 fourth considerably shorter, and but little longer than the second ; toes 

 free, scutellate above, compressed, granulate beneath. Claws of mode- 

 rate length, arched, slender, much compressed, acute, flat and marginate 

 beneath. 



Plumage rather stiff, compact and glossed on the upper parts. Fea- 

 thers 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 ; secon- 

 daries weak, broad, rounded. Tail extremely 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 yellowish-brown ; ridge of upper 

 and tips of both deep brown. Iris pale yellow. Feet pale livid grey, 

 tinged with orange about the tibio-tarsal joint ; claws dusky. Upper 

 part of the head and hind neck dull brown, the bristle-like shafts of the 

 frontal feathers brownish-black ; a pale brownish-orange line from the 

 bill over the eye; loral space and sides of the head dull bluish-grey, the 

 two sides of each feather being of the latter colour. Wing-coverts dull 

 olive, tinged with grey, some of them with slight irregular whitish mark- 

 ings ; alula and primaries olive-brown ; secondaries and tail feathers like 

 the back. Chin yellowish-white, edged on either side with pale yellowish- 

 brown ; sides and fore part of the neck bluish-grey, tinged more especially 

 before with dull pale yellowish-brown ; the fore part of the breast of the 

 latter colour. Lower wing-coverts, sides, hind part of abdomen, and 

 middle lower tail-coverts undulated with deep greyish-brown and greyish- 

 white, lateral tail-coverts with the outer webs white ; tibial feathers simi- 

 larly barred, but paler, middle of the abdomen greyish- white. 



Length to end of tail 15 inches, to end of claws 20, extent of wings SOf; 

 bill 2| ; tarsus 2, middle-toe and claw 2^*g ; wing from flexure 6/3 ; tail 2f . 

 Weight 11 oz. 



