326 EALLID.E. 



5. Creciscus ruber. 



Corethrura rubra, Scl. & Salv. Ibis, 1860, p. 277' ; P. Z. S. 1860, p. 300 '. 



Porzana rubra, Scl. & Salv. P. Z. S. 1868, p. 452 " ; Exot. Orn. p. 31, t. 16 ^ Salv. Ibis, 1889, 

 p. 378'; 1890, p. 89'. 



Creciscus ruber, Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxiii. p. 143 ^ 



Castaneus, dorso postico bruQnescentiore ; remigibus sepiariis ; canda nigra; pileo efc facie lafcerali schistaceis ; 

 corpore toto subtus saturate ferrugineo ; abdomine pallidiore, corporis lateribas, subcaudaUbns et axil- 

 laribus saturate castaneis ; subalaribus castaneis, uonoullis albidis, ad basin fuscis. Long, tota circa 6-0, 

 ate 3-4, caudse 1-45, culm. 0-8, tarsi 1-25. (Descr. exempl. iy^). ex Coban. Mus. nostr.) 



Eah. Mexico, Cozumel I. (Gaumer^^''); British Hondueas {Blancaneaux'') ; Gj5a.te- 

 nk-Lk^^ {Skinner i, Constancia i), Vera Paz 2 \ Coban 1, Choctum \ Lake of Duefias " 

 {0. 8.& F. I). (?.). 

 The uniformly coloured axillaries and flanks, bright chestnut or ferruginous under 

 surface, grey crown and sides of face, chestnut back, and black tail, mark C. ruler as 

 a very distinct species. It appears to have a somewhat restricted range in Central 

 America, as will be seen from the localities given above. 

 Nothing has been recorded of its habits. 



GALLIXULA. 



Gallinula, Brisson, Om. vi. p. 3 (1760) ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxiii. p. 167 (1894). 



The Water-hens, of which the European G. chloropus is the type, are distinguished 

 from the Eails and Crakes by their extremely long toes and heavy Fowl-like bodies. 

 The middle toe and claw are longer than the tarsus. The plumage is somewhat 

 sombre and there is a bare red shield on the forehead. 



The genas is found throughout the temperate and tropical portions of the globe. 

 In the southern areas the species are resident, but those which breed in the north are 

 move or less migratory during the winter season. Of the six species known, one alone 

 is American. 



1. GalliniQa galeata. 



Crex galeata, Licht. Verz. Doubl. p. 80 \ 



Gallinula galeata, Bp. Amer. Om. iv. p. 128, t. 27. fig. 1'; Taylor, Ibis, 1860, p. 314'; Lawr. 



Ann. Lye. N. Y. viii. p. 184 ' ; Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. ii. p. 312 ' ; BuU. U. S. Nat. Mus. 



no. 4, p. 50 ' ; Salv. Ibis, 1866, p. 198 ' ; 1870, p. 115 ' ; 1889, p. 378 ' ; Scl. & Salv. P. Z. S. 



1868, p. 462 " ; Sumichr. La Nat. v. p. 229 " ; Nutting, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. vi. p. 409 "; 



Baird, Brew., & Ridgw. "U'ater-Birds N. Amer. i. p. 388"; Herrera, La Nat. (2) i. 



pp. 186 ", 327 " ; Stone, Pr. Acad. Philad. 1890, p. 203 '' ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. 



xxiii. p. 177 " ; A. O. U. Cheek-list N. Amer. Birds, 2nd ed. p. 81 '\ 

 Crex chlwopus (nee L.), Licht. Preis-Verz. ]Mex. Yog. p. 3"; Cab. J. f. Om. 1863, p. 59". 



Supra saturate brunnea, vix olivascens, scapularibus dorso concoloribus ; tectricibus alarum sordide schistaceis • 

 remigibus et rectricibus nigris ; pileo coUoque undique nigris ; interscapulio et corpore rehquo snbtna 

 plumbeseentibus, plumis pectoris imi et abdominis albido plus minusve marginatis ; subcaudalibus nigris 

 lateralibus conspicue albis ; hypochondriis cinerascenti-brunneis, plumis elongatis albo longitudinaliter 



