RAILS. 



39 



A. nitidissima of Mauritius, has become extinct withiu historic times. 

 Of the Green Fruit-Pigeons Sphenocercus (278 c), Osmotreron (277, 

 277 a), Treron (276), etc., a number are exhibited at the top of the Case, 

 and, as will be seen, the harmonious colouring of some of the smaller 

 species is wonderfully pleasing. 



Order V. RALLIFORMES. Rail-like Birds. 



The members of this order are all adapted for a life among thick [Ciise 22.] 

 undergrowth, such as is found along the banks of rivers, swamps and 

 pools, or among long grass in drier places. The body is laterally com- 

 pressed between the closely fitting concave wings, so that the bird is 

 enabled to glide easily and stealthily through reeds and other cover. 

 The legs are moderately long and the toes often extremely so. In spite 

 of their apparently weak and unprotracted flight, many are migratory, 

 and some, such as the Corn-Crake, are capable of making very long 

 voyages. Not a few from long disuse of their wings have lost the power 

 of flight, and of these, it may be mentioned, several have become extinct 

 during historic times. Rails are mostly good swimmers. The eggs are 

 numerous, generally from seven to eleven in number and double-spotted. 

 Of the species exhibited in this Case only the more interesting can be 

 referred to here. 



Family I, Rallid^. Rails. 



The true Rails may be distinguished by the absence of a hornj frontal [Case 2i'.] 

 shield or plate on the forehead and of lobate webs on the toes. They 

 are distributed all over the world, being as a rule of sombre coloration 

 and of very retiring and partially crepuscular habits. The Water-Rail 

 {Rallus aquaticus) (298) and the Corn-Crake or Land-Rail [Crex crex) 

 (312) are both found in Great Britain, the former as a resident, the 

 latter as a summer visitor from South Africa. The Spotted Crake 

 (316), the Little Crake (315), and Baillon's Crake (314) are also 

 included in the British list, the former as a regular summer visitor 

 and partial resident. 



A number of large handsome Rails belong to the South American 

 genus Aramides (306-308), three species of which are exhibited. 



The singular Wallace's Rail [Habroptila wallacei) (305), from the 

 forests of Halmahera in the Moluccas, and the Weka Rails or Wood- 

 hens [Ocydromus] of New Zealand, are of special interest, having entirely 

 lost the power of flight, and are in consequence doomed ere long to 

 extinction. The common Weka Rail [0. australis) (304), a rather 

 large bird about the size of a hen, is much sought after by the Maoris, 



