/^ 



EALLID^, RAILS, ETC. — GEN. 240, 241. 273 



American species (Sclater and Salvin) only 7 occur in this country, one of wliicli is 

 merely a straggler. There are some 25 Old World species. 



240. Genus RALLUS Linnaeus. 



■ Clapper Rail. Salt-ioater Marsh-hen. Mud-lien. Al)ove, variegated with 

 dark olive-brown and pale olive-ash, the latter edging the feathers; below, 

 pale dull ochrey-brown, whitening on the throat, frequently ashy-shaded on 

 the breast ; flanks, 

 axillars and lining 

 of wings, fuscous- 

 gray, with sharp 

 white bars ; quills 

 and tail plain dark- 

 brown ; eyelids and 

 short superciliary 

 line whitish ; young 

 birds are mostly 

 soiled whitish be- 

 low; when just 

 from the ez^, en- 



°°' Fig. 178. Clapper Rail. 



tirely sooty black. 



14-16 long ; wing 5-6 ; tail 2-2J ; bill 2-2 J ; tarsus l|-2 ; middle toe and 

 claw 2-2J- ; 9 smaller than the $ . Salt marshes of Atlantic States, 

 extremely abundant southerly ; N. regularly to middle districts, sometimes 

 to Massachusetts; Great Salt Lake {Allen). Eggs 6 to 10, 1| by 1^, 

 whitish, creamy or buff, variously speckled and blotched with reddish- 

 brown, with a few obscure lavender marks. R. crepitans Wils., vii, p. 112 ; 

 NuTT., ii, 201 ; Aud., v, 165, pi. 310; Cass, in Bd., 747. longieosteis. 

 X~i U L King Rail. Fresh-ivater Marsh-hen. With a general resemblance to the 

 last species, but much more brightly colored ; above, brownish-black, 

 variegated with olive-brown, becoming rich chestnut on the wing coverts ; 

 under parts rich rufous or cinnamon-brown, usually paler on the middle of 

 the bellj', and whitening on the throat; flanks and axillars blackish, white- 

 barred. Eather larger than the last. U. S., chiefly in fresh-water marshes. 

 Wils., vii, pi. 62, f. 2 ; Atjd., v, 160, pi. 309 ; Cass. IuBd., 746. elegans. 

 Virginia Rail. Coloration exactly as in elegans, of which it is a perfect 

 miniature. Length 8J-10J ; wing about 4 ; tail about 1 J ; bill 1^-1| ; 

 tarsus I4-IJ ; middle toe and claw IJ-lf. Temperate N. Am., common, 

 migi'atory; many winter in the S. states. Wils., vii, 109, pi. 62, f. 1; 

 NuTT., ii, 205 ; Aud., v, 174, pi. 311 ; Cass, in Bd., 748. . vieginianus. 



^L] 



If (p'd 



241. Genus PORZAWA VieiUot. 



Carolina Rail. Common Rail. Sora. "Ortolan." Above, olive-brown, 

 varied with black, with numerous sharp white streaks and specks ; flanks, 

 axillars and lining of wings, barred with white and blackish ; belly whitish ; 



KEY TO IS". A. BIRDS. 35 



