380 



RAIL. 



19 .— TABUAN RAIL. 



Rallus Tabuensis, Ind. Orn. ii. 759. Gm. Lin.\. 717. 

 Tabuan Rail, Gen. Syn. v. 235. 



LENGTH six inches and a half. Bill black ; eyelids and irides 

 red ; plumage in general brownish black ; beneath dusky ; legs 

 reddish brown. 



Inhabits Tongo-taboo, Otaheite, and other Isles in the South 

 Seas ; also, Norfolk Island. One from the Island of Tanna was 

 more inclined to brown ; the vent white, barred with black lines ; 

 legs red. 



A.— Tabuan Rail, Var. Gen. Syn. v. 235. Ind. Orn. ii. 759. 12. /3. 



This varies in having the plumage more inclined to brown ; the 

 vent white, transversely barred with black lines ; legs red. 

 Inhabits the Island of Tanna. — Sir Joseph Banks. 



20— BLACK RAIL 



Rallus niger, Ind. Orn. ii. 759. Gm. Lin. i. 717. 

 Black Rail, Gen. Syn. v. 236. 



LENGTH nine inches. Bill one inch, yellow, end brown ; 

 plumage in general dusky black, deepest on the head ; legs and toes 

 long, brown, in some birds red; claws brown. 



Inhabits the Cape of Good Hope, and other parts of Africa. — 

 One in Mr. Salt's collection measured only seven inches and a half. 

 Another in Mr. Bullock's Museum about eight inches : this had a 

 small knob, or blunt spur at the bend of the wing, and below it a 

 second, smaller, but more pointed ; legs pale red. In all these the 

 tails were very short ; toes long and slender, and the claws hooked. 



