524 . VELLOW-BREASTED RAIL. 
declare that it had all the appearance of being adult. Others 
did not, however, differ in anything except in having the 
colours duller and less decided ; nor did I notice any difference 
between the sexes, except a little in size, the female being 
smaller. According to Vieillot, however, the plumage I have 
so minutely described could have been only that of the young 
bird: he states the adult male to be different in colour both 
from the adult female and the young; but as the differences 
appear to consist more in the language of his imperfect de- 
scriptions than in anything else, we shall bestow no further 
notice upon them. 
