EALLIJS.— AEAMIDES. 317 



& Ridgw. Water-Birds N. Amer. i. p. 363'; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxiii. p. 16*; 

 A. O. U. Check-]. N. Amer. Birds, 2iid ed. p. 78'; Chapman, Bull. Amer. Mus. N. H. x. 

 p. 36 ""; Gates, Eggs Brit. Mus. i. p. 110, t. 9. fig. 1 ". 



Saturate brunneus, nigro late striatus ; tectrieibus alarum magis ferrugineis, majoribus externis nigro et albo 

 irregulariter fasciatim notatis ; remigibus et rectricibus sepiariis, secundariis intimis dorso concoloribus ; 

 pileo nuchaque nigrieantibus, plumis indistincte brunneo marginatis ; superciliis et facie laterali fumoso- 

 plumbeis, fascia supralorali albida, genis vinaeeo lavatis ; gutture albo ; corpore reliquo subtus vinaceo- 

 ferrugineo, abdomine pallidiore isabellino ; bypocbondriis et subalaribus nigris albo transfasciatis ; crisso 

 saturate vinaceo-rufo, subcaudalibus nigris, albo marginatis : rostro brunneo, mandibula flavicante ; pedibus 

 olivascenti-brunneis ; iride rubra. Long, tota circa 7'5, alse 3"85, caudae 1'6, culm. 1'45, tarsi 1"2. 

 (Descr. feminae adultae ex Ciudad Yieja, Guatemala. Mus. nostr.) 



Juv. adulto similis, sed supra magis nigrescens, tectrieibus alarum laete ferrugineis, et corpore subtus nigro 

 vix rufo variegato, gutture et abdomine medio albis distinguendus. (Descr. avis juvenis ex Duenas. 

 Mus. nostr.) 



Hah. North America generally, from the British Provinces southward 9. — Mexico, 

 Mazatlan {Grayson^), Matamoros {Dresser^), Jalapa (Chapman ^'^), Tizimin, 

 N. Yucatan (Gaumer ^) ; Guatemala, Duenas ^, Ciudad Vieja ^, Antigua ^ (0. S. & 

 F. J). G'.).— West Indies, Cuba ^. 



The Virginian Kail, which is the New- World representative of R. aquaticus of 

 Europe, is found over the greater part of North America during the breeding-season, 

 and migrates as far south as Guatemala in winter. In Western Mexico it arrives in the 

 latter part of October, leaving again in spring, but is not abundant. A specimen was 

 obtained at Tizimin, in Northern Yucatan '^, on the 2ord June, which suggests the 

 probability of its nesting in that district. In Guatemala we found E. mrginianus in 

 September and October only, and procured specimens at Dueiias in both these months, 

 one being a young bird, doubtless bred in the marsh near the lake. 



Like all other members of the genus Rallus, this species is very shy and seldom seen 

 on the wing ; when pressed it escapes by running, threading its way through reeds and 

 grass with marvellous speed and agility. Nuttall likens the note to the sound of a 

 watchman's rattle. 



The eggs are cream-coloured, delicately marked with small well-developed spots of 

 rufous and pale purple, more frequent at the larger end than elsewhere. 



ARAMIDES. 



Aramides, Pucheran, Rev. Zool. 1845, p. 277 ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxiii. p. 53 (1894). 



The members of the genus Aramides are all somewhat remarkable fur their bright 

 colour, which contrasts with the sombre plumage of the true Rails. As with them, 

 the bill is furnished with a distinct longitudinal groove near the base of the lower 

 mandible ; the tarsus, however, is longer than in Rallus, and exceeds the length of 

 the middle toe and claw. 



Aramides belongs to a group which embraces several genera of the Australian region, 

 such as Eulaheornis, Gymnocrex, and Aramidopm, the last, from the island of Celebes, 



