318 EALLID.E. 



strongly resembling the American species of the present genus in the pattern of its 

 plumage. 



We have reason to believe that these birds chiefly frequent the bush in the vicinity 

 of rivers, where they may be heard uttering their peculiar note, unlike that of any other 

 Eail. They are exclusively Neotropical. 



1. Aramides axillaris. (Tab. LXXVII.) 



Aramides axillaris, Lawr. Pr. Acad. Philad. 1863, p. 107' } Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. ii. p. 311 '; 

 Scl. & Salv. P. Z. S. 1868, p. 449'; Salv. Ibis, 1874, p. 327'; Boucard, P. Z. S. 1883, 

 p. 462 ' ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxiii. p. 56 ^ 



Supra virideacenti-oliTaeeus, tectricibus alarum et secundariis intimis dorso concoloribus ; remigibns fermgineis, 

 apicem versus brunnescentibus ; uropygio brunnescenti-nigro ; supracaudalibus caadaque uigerrimis ; pileo 

 et collo postico castaneis, collo imo posfcico et interscapulio scbistaceis ; facie laterali vinaceo-castanea, gula 

 vinascenti-alba ; corpora reliquo subtus eastaneo, abdomine plumbescente ; hypochondriis imis, tibiis et 

 crisso fumoso-nigris, subcaudalibus nigerrimis ; subalaribus et axillaribus fumoso-nigris, albo, vix rufes- 

 cente, transfasciatis : rosfcro viridi, ad basin flavo ; pedibus vinaceo-rubris ; palpebis et iride rubris. Long, 

 tota circa 12-5, alae 6'9, caud* 2-2, culm. 1-6, tarsi 2'l-5. (Descr. avis adulti ex Venezuela. Mus. nostr.) 



Hcib. Mexico, Mazatlan, San Bins { Gray so7i 2), Las Bocas de Silan, N. Yucatan (Cabot *) ; 

 British Hoxdukas, Belize. (Bocourt^). — Colombiai^; Venezuela^; Trinidad^; 

 British Guiana^. • 



A species very easily recognized by its chestnut head and neck, which are of the 

 same colour as the throat and under surface of the body, the under wing-coverts beino- 

 blackish with white cross-bars. A. axillaris was originally described from Barranquilla, 

 Colombia, by Lawrence i, and we have a specimen from Venezuela in our collection 

 obtained by Mr. Spence ^ ; the bird procured by Schomburgk in British Guiana also 

 proves to be of the same species ^ ^. As it has only been recorded from Mexico and 

 British Honduras within our limits, there appears to be a considerable break in its 

 distribution, and since we have not had the opportunity of comparing the Central- 

 American with southern examples it is possible that they may prove distinct. 



Grayson ^ obtained a specimen in the mangrove-swamps near San Bias in 1866, and 

 a second was shot by his son in April 1867 ; the stomachs of both birds contained the 

 remains of small crabs and diminutive mollusca. During the months of April and 

 May he states that he heard the chattering of these birds in the mangroves throughout 

 the night. A. axillaris is a resident of Western Mexico, and does not appear to 

 migrate. 



2. Aramides chiricote. 



Chiricote, Azara, Apunt. iii. p. 214 \ 



Rallus chiricote, VieiU. N. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. xxviii. p. 551 =. 



Aramides chiricote, Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxiii. p. 58'; Salvad. & Festa, Boll Mus 



Torino, xiv. no. 339, p. 12 *. 

 Aramides cayanea chiricote, Bangs, Pr. New England Zool. Club, ii. p. 14'. 



