LEAST WATER RAIL. 159 



latter colour. The hind neck and fore part of the back dark chestnut; the 

 rest of the back and tail-coverts greyish-black, transversely barred with 

 white. Wing-coverts and inner secondaries reddish-brown, with white 

 spots; the other quills more dusky. The tail-feathers also reddish-brown, 

 barred with dusky and marked with white spots. 



Length to end of tail 6 inches; wing from flexure 3^; tail 1 T V; bill along 

 the ridge ^, along the edge of lower mandible If; bare part of tibia i; tarsus 

 1; hind toe and claw -|; middle toe and claw 1, outer toe and claw ^; inner 

 toe and claw -§. 



Young a few days old. 



W 7 hile yet covered with down, the young is black all over; the bill bright 

 yellow, with the point of the upper mandible, and a band across the middle 

 of the lower, black; the feet dull yellowish-green, the claws dusky. 



Since the above was written, I have received a letter from my friend J. 

 Trudeatt, M. D., in which he says that his father shot a considerable num- 

 ber of these Rails last winter in the vicinity of New Orleans. 



Genus IV.— RALLUS, Linn. RAIL. 



Bill much longer than the head, slender, compressed, very slightly de- 

 curved, high at the base; upper mandible with the dorsal line almost straight, 

 until towards the end, where it is slightly curved, the ridge a little flattened 

 at the base, and extending slightly on the forehead, convex toward the end, 

 nasal sinus forming a groove extending to two-thirds, the sides nearly erect, 

 the edges slightly inflected, the notches very slight, the tip rather obtuse; 

 lower mandible with the angle very long and extremely narrow, the dorsal 

 line almost straight, the sides erect and a little convex, the edges involute, 

 the tip narrowed but obtuse. Nostrils lateral, sub-basal, linear. Head 

 small, oblong, much compressed; neck long and slender; body slender, much 

 compressed. Feet long; tibia bare below; tarsus rather long, stout, com- 

 pressed anteriorly, covered with broad scutella; hind toe very small and 

 tender, fourth little longer than second, anterior toes very long, scutellate, 

 compressed. Claws of moderate length, arched, slender, much compressed, 



