RAILS, GALLINULES, AND COOTS. 145 



general color of the upper parts is between oehraceous-buff and oream-buff, 

 the feathers with black centers ; the wing-ooverts and most of the quills are 

 pale rufous ; the breast is pale ochraoeous-buff ; the sides are the same, barred 

 with white ; the middle of the belly is white. 



218. Ionornisiiiartiiiica(Xi»n.). Pubple Gauinule. ^n!.— Front 

 of the crown with a bare bluish plumbeous plate ; rest of the head and under 

 parts rich dark purplish blue; under tail-coverts white; back shining olive- 

 green ; wings light blue, tinged with greenish ; bill carmine, tipped with pale 

 greenish (in skins, reddish orange, tipped with yellowish) ; legs yellow. Jm. 

 — Upper parts more or less washed with brownish ; under parts more or less 

 mottled with white ; plate on the head smaller ; bill without orange-red. 

 Downy young. — Glossy black, head with numerous white, hairlike feathers; 

 base of the bill yellowish, end black. L., 13-00; W., 7-10; Tar., 2-40; B. 

 from posterior margin of nostril, '80. 



Mange. — Tropical America ; breeds as far north as southern Illinois and 

 South Carolina, and rarely strays northward to Wisconsin and Maine ; win- 

 ters from southern Florida southward. 



Long Island, A. V. 



Kest, a platform of reed stalks built in rushes over the water or in grassy 

 marshes. Eggs, eight to ten, buffy white, finely speckled with rufous-brown, 

 l-()0 X 1-15. 



This is a common bird in the Southern States. It winters from 

 southern Florida southward and migrates northward in April. It is 

 generally found associated with the Florida Gallinule, which.it resem- 

 bles in habits, but its much brighter color is apparent at a distance. 



219. Gallinula gaXeaita, {LicM.). Florida Gallinule. (See Fig. 

 22, d.) Ad. — Dark bluish slatcrcolor ; back and scapulars washed with olive- 

 brown; belly Whitish; flanks with u few conspicuous white streaks ; under 

 tail-coverts white ; crown with a bare, bright-red plate; bill the same color 

 tipped with yellowish ; legs greenish, reddish at the tibiffi. Im. — Similar, but 

 under parts grayish white; crown plate much smaller and with the bill 

 brownish ; no red on the legs. Downy young. — " Glossy black, the lower 

 parts sooty along the median line : throat and cheeks interspersed with sil- 

 very white hairs" (Ridgw.). L., 18'50; W., 7-00; Tar., 2'15; B. from poste- 

 rior margin of nostril, -SO. 



Range. — Temperate and tropical America ; breeds locally as far north as 

 Minnesota and southern Maine ; winters from the Gulf States southward. 



Washington, rare T. V., Apl.; Aug. to Oct. Long Island, uncommon 

 T. v.. May ; Sept. and Oct. Sing Sing, rare S. E., June 5 to Nov. 5. Gam- 

 bridge, uncommon S. K., May 10 to Oct. 1. 



Nest, of rushes on a bed of rushes or similar slight elevation in marshes, 

 lagoons, or swampy lake sides. Eggs, eight to thirteen, buffy white or ochra- 

 ceous-buff, spotted and speckled with rufous-brown, 1-80 x 1-25. 



There is something about the appearance and habits of Gallinules 

 which always suggests to me the thought that they are chickens who 

 11 



