322 EALLID^. 



P. Z. S. 1870, p. 219 " ; Cat. Strickl. Coll. p. 582 " ; Ibis, 1889, p. 378 " ; Sumichr. La Nat. 



V. p. 229"; Ferrari-Perez, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. ix. p. 177"; Ridgw. op. cit. x. p. 578"; 



Herrera, La Nat. (2) i. pp. 186 '^ 327 "; Cherrie, Auk, 1892, p. 329 "; A. O. U. Check-1. 



N. Amer. Birds, 2iid ed. p. 79 " ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxiii. p. 97 " ; Bangs, 



Pr. New Engl. Zool. Club, ii. p. 14'°. 

 Crex Carolina, v. Frantz. J. f. Orn. 1869, p. 375 ". 

 Ortigometra Carolina, Dugfes, La Nat. i. p. 142 '''. 



Supra olivaceo-brunnea, nigro medialiter late striata, plumis fere omnibus albo lateraliter maculatis vel 

 marginatis ; secundariis intimis dorso concoloribus et eodem modo lineatis ; tectricibus alarum 

 concoloribus, clarius olivaceis, majoribus nonnullis extus albo maculatis ; tectricibus primariorum et 

 remigibus sepiariis, extus olivaeeo lavatis, primario extimo anguste albo marginato ; rectricibus nigris, 

 olivaceo marginatis ; pileo efc coUi lateribus saturate olivascenti-brunneis, vertiee medio nigro, nucha 

 quoque nigro striolata ; fronte antica, supercilio distincto, facie laterali, gutture et pectore summo 

 schistaceis, regione parotioa superiore paUide olivaceo-brunnea ; loris et gula media nigris ; pectore imo 

 et abdomine albis ; corporis lateribus et axiUaribus nigricantibus, albo transfasciatis ; tibiis cinereis ; 

 hypochondriis imis et suboaudaUbus cervinis ; subalaribus albis, imis nigro fasciatis ; remigibus infra 

 cinerascentibus, intus pallidioribus : rostro fusco, ad basin viridi ; pedibus flavicanti-viridibus, unguibus 

 brunneis ; iride Iffite castanea. Long, tota circa 7"5, alae 4-3, caudae 1-9, culm. 0-8, tarsi 1-35. (Descr. 

 exempl. adult, ex Belize. Mus. nostr.) 



Juv. Clarius olivascens, gula alba, gutturer eliquo et praepectore cervino-brunneis distinguenda. (Descr. av. 

 Juvenis ex Duerias. Mus. nostr.) 



Hah. North America, breeding chiefly to the northward, but less commonly on the 

 Pacific coast; casually north to South Greenland i^. — Mexico, Mazatlan {Gray- 

 son % Valley of Mexico [Herrera '^^ '^% city of Mexico {White ^), Guanajuato 

 {Bugis 22), Cacoprieto, Orizaba, Valley of Mexico {Sumichrast ^^), Cbapulco, Puebla 

 {Ferrari-Perez^^), Progreso, N. Yucatan {I)evis^% Cozumel I. {Gaumer ^^ ^^) ; 

 British Honduras, Belize {Blancaneaux ^^) ; Guatemala {Constancia i°), Vera Paz 

 {Skinner % Cohan, Lake of Duenas {0. S. & F. D. G.^^^); Costa Kica 

 {v. Frantzius 21), San Jose {Cherrie ^^j, Laguna de Cartago {Underwood in litt.) ; 



Panama 4^, Chiriqui {Aree^), Lion Hill Station i^ {M'Leannan, Brown'^'^). 



Colombia 19; Ecuador ^^ ; Swan I. {Toionsend^^}; West Indies i^. — Europe, 

 incidental ^^. 



P. Carolina is widely distributed over North America, and nests throughout the 

 greater part of its range. In winter it migrates south, and at this season visits our 

 region and northern South America. Grayson^ observed a few specimens near 

 Mazatlan in March, and in Guatemala ^ we found it about the Lake of Duenas ; here 

 the species appeared to be migratory, leaving the district on the approach of summer. 



CEECISCUS. 



Creciscus, Cab. J. f. Orn. 1856, p. 428 ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxiii. p. 134 (1894). 



An American genus including some small species, which differ from Porzana in their 

 more rounded wings, the primaries and secondaries being practically equal in length 

 They are remarkable for their fluff"y, variegated plumage and somewhat bright colour. 



