VELLOW-BREASTED RAIL. 519 
waders, that notwithstanding a perfect similarity of confor- 
mation, we do not hesitate to grant it the distinction of a 
section for itself, especially as we are at last, after a minute 
examination, able to assign it a character drawn from the 
respective proportions of the toes and tarsus. This is, however, 
the result of extraordinary pains. In the land-crake of Europe 
(and probably in a few analogous foreign species), the middle toe 
without the nail is shorter than the tarsus, whilst in the water- 
crakes it islonger. The hind toe is also shorter and rather more 
elevated from the ground. All the other rails and crakes are, 
though much less aquatic than the gallinules and coots, al- 
ways found in marshes, swamps, lakes and their reedy margins, 
or in their vicinity, and they even swim occasionally, though 
not habitually. The Ortygometre, or crakes, are again sub- 
divided by the modern English school into two groups, which 
they elevate to the dignity of genera, under the names of 
crake and craker, but to which they assign no character. At 
least Dr Leach, the author of the genus Zapornia, did not, as 
far as I know, characterise the group, nor is my good friend 
at present able to point out the difference. However this 
may be, the only species referred to it is the Huropean Ltallus 
pusillus, whilst its close relative the porzana, and even the 
R. Baillonii are left in Ortygometra with the Rallus crea, 
which, with great inconsistency, the same writers omit to dis- 
tinguish separately, as has been done by some Germans and 
Italians. It will not be useless here to bear in mind that even 
the two chief divisions of this natural genus pass so insensibly 
into each other as to make it impossible to separate the con- 
necting species, so that a great many Brazilian rails are arbi- 
trarily placed in either subgenus, notwithstanding that the 
extremes—which among the four North American species 
may be exemplified by this, the yellow-breasted namely, and 
the Virginia rail—are so widely different ; and this furnishes 
additional proof of the inexpediency of Latham’s arrangement, 
llowever it may have since been admired and imitated. Our 
genus rail, which we maintain to be natural, though closely 
