360 LEAST WATER RAIL. 
** On Saturday last I wrote to you of the Rail Bird breeding near 
this place. I then described one that I caught last summer, which 
was unlike the Rail in the fall season, and I presumed that all in the 
wet ground were the same, but this day my men mowing around the 
pond started up two of the usual kind. The hen flew a few rods, and 
then flew back to her young in an instant, when they caught her to- 
gether with her four young, which I herewith send you. Many more 
can be caught. I have seen them in our meadow every month of the 
year, but they never make a great noise except when very fat on the 
wild oat’s seed. From the above you will conclude that they do not 
migrate to the south, but breed here. Respectfully, 
Tuomas Rowan.” 
Ratuivs Jamatcensts, Brisson Sup. p. 140.—Gmel. Syst. Nat. vol. } p- 718.—Lath. 
Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 761. 
Adult Male. Plate CCCXLIX. Fig. 1. 
Bill shorter than the head, rather stout, compressed, tapering. 
Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight, being slightly 
convex toward the end, the ridge narrow and convex in its whole 
length, the sides convex towards the end, the edges sharp, the tip ra- 
ther acute. Nasal groove extending to a little beyond the middle of 
the bill; nostrils linear, lateral, submedial, pervious. Lower mandi- 
ble with the angle long and narrow, the sides erect, the dorsal line 
sloping upwards, the edges a little inflected, the tip narrowed, the gape 
line straight. 
Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck shortish. Body com- 
pact, deeper than broad. Feet of moderate length, rather slender ; ti- 
bia bare a short way above the joint; tarsus of ordinary length, com- 
pressed, anteriorly covered with broad scutella, posteriorly with smaller, 
and on the sides reticulated. Hind toe small and very slender ; middle 
toe longest, and longer than the tarsus ; inner toe considerably shorter 
than the outer ; toes free, with numerous scutella above. Claws of mo- 
derate length, compressed, slightly arched, acute. 
Plumage blended, slightly glossy above. Wings short and broad; 
tapering, rounded, the first and second nearly equal and longest. Tail 
very short, much rounded, of twelve feeble rounded feathers ; the up- 
per and lower tail-coverts nearly as long as the tail-feathers. 
