138 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 
.10 or more in width), the ground-color varying from clear brown 
(darker next to white bars) to brownish black; upper parts vary- 
ing from fulvous-brown to an almost ochrey tint, the blackish stripes 
very sharply defined; breast, etc., deep cinnamon, usually distinctly 
paler posteriorly and medially; length 17.00-19.00, wing 5.90-6.80 
(6.43), culmen 2.12-2.50 (2.35), least depth of bill .27-.35 (.30), depth 
at base 50-55 (52), tarsus 2.10-2.40 (2.28), middle toe 1.85-2.50 
(2.07). Eggs 1.63 x 1.22. Hab. Fresh-water marshes of eastern 
United States, north to Wisconsin, southern Michigan, Ohio, etc. 
(casually to Massachusetts, Maine, and Ontario), west to the Great 
PIQINB ios aseedveeesdcide densestonbeceutie se 208. R. elegans Aup. King Rail. 
@. Flanks, etc., with lighter bars very narrow (averaging decidedly less 
than .10 wide), the ground-color varying from clear hair-brown 
to cinnamon-brown; upper parts umber-brown or olive, distinctly, 
but usually not sharply, striped with blackish brown; breast, etc., 
uniform deep cinnamon, not distinctly paler posteriorly or me- 
dially. 
d@'. Flanks hair-brown, distinctly barred with pure white, the white 
bars bordered on each side by a blackish bar; ground-color of 
upper parts olive; lores dark brown, bordered above by a stripe 
of pale cinnamon; length about 15.00-16.00, wing 5.70-6.40 
(6.03), culmen 2.25-2.50 (2.37), least depth of bill .29-.35 (.31), 
depth at base .50, tarsus 1.88-2.10 (1.93), middle toe 1.75-1.90 
(1.81). Hab. Eastern coast of Lower California (La Paz; 
Espiritu Santo Island, etc.). 
209. R. beldingi Ripaw. Belding’s Rail. 
d?, Flanks cinnamon-brown, indistinctly barred with pale cinnamon 
and rusty whitish, but ‘without darker bars; ground-color of 
upper parts umber-brown; lores rather pale brown, bordered 
above by a white stripe; wing 5.90-6.00 (5.95), culmen 2.00- 
2.40 (2.17), least depth of bill .22-30 (.26), tarsus 1.80-2.08 
(1.93), middle toe 1.70-1.92 (1.81). Hab. Central and western 
Mexico. 
R. tenuirostris (Lawr.), Mexican King Rail. 
a’. Smaller (wing less than 4.50). 
Above olive-brownish, broadly striped with blackish; wing-coverts deep 
rusty, or chestnut-rufous; breast, etc., deep cinnamon ; flanks and axil- 
lars dusky, barred with white. Immature specimens with lower parts 
mixed more or less extensively wlth black. Length 8.12-10.50, wing 
3.90-4.25, culmen 1.45~-1.60, tarsus 1.30-1.40, middle toe 1.20-1.40. Eggs 
1.24 x .94. Hab. Whole of temperate North America, north to British 
Columbia and Hudson’s Bay, south to Guatemala and Cuba. 
212. R. virginianus Linn. Virginia Rail. 
1 Rallus elegans var. tenuirostris Lawn., Am. Nat. viii. Feb. 1874, 11. 
