( 359 ) 
LEAST WATER RAIL. 
RALLUS JAMAICENSIS, GMEL. 
PLATE CCCXLIX. Mater anp Youne. 
My knowledge of this pretty little species is altogether derived 
from Titian Prats, Hsq., of Philadelphia, by whom, in October 1836, 
I was favoured with the following letter :— 
** T herewith send you the ‘ Little Rail’ of which we were speaking 
yesterday, and the letter of Dr Rowan which relates to it. The young 
died soon after I received them, but the old one lived with me until 
the 26th of July (four days after its capture), evincing considerable 
anxiety for the young, as long as they lived. Both young and old par- 
took sparingly of Indian meal and water, or bread and water, and soon 
became quite at home, and probably might have been domesticated, 
had they been properly accommodated. 
“The most remarkable part of the history of this individual is, that 
after its death we should have discovered on dissection that it was a 
male, rendering it singularly curious that he should have suffered him- 
- self to be captured by hand while in defence of the young brood. 
“There is now in the Museum a specimen of this species, which has 
been in the collection for about thirty years, said to have been caught 
in the vicinity of the city. It stands labelled ‘ Little Rail, Rallus mi- 
nutus, Turton’s Linn ; but the authenticity of the specimen has always 
been disputed by Bonararre and others, because none else had been 
found; and the author just named expressed a belief that it was an 
immature specimen of Rallus (Crea) Porzana of Europe. 
“TI regret that I should have mislaid the measurements of the 
specimen when recent, if any were taken, and cannot lay my hands on 
them, or any thing more than the above notes. Respectfully yours, &c. 
Titian R. Peat.” 
Inclosed in Mr Perate’s letter was the following note from Dr 
Rowan “to the Messrs PEAtzEs.” 
