GRALLATORES. 403 



[169.] 2. Rallus Carolinus. (Bonap.) Carolina Rail. 



Genus, Rallus, Linn.* 



Little American Water-hen (Gallinula minor). Edw., pi. 144. 



Soree gallinule. Penn. Arct. Zool., ii., p. 491, No. 409. 



Gallinula Carolina. Lath. Ind., ii., p. 77L sp. 17- 



Rail (Rallus Virginianus). Wils., vi., p. 27, pi- 48, f. 1. Ral. Carolinus, Gen. Ind. 



Gallinula Carolina (Soree gallinule). Sab. Frankl. Journ., p. 690. 



Rallus Carolinus. Bonap. Syn., No. 272. 



Pawpawkaw-paeteesew. Cree Indians. 



This bird is common in the summer season throughout the fur-countries up to 

 the sixty-second parallel, and is particularly abundant on the banks of the small 

 lakes that skirt the Saskatchewan plains. It is scarce in the summer within 

 the United States, though a few breed there ; but arrives in great numbers on the 

 Delaware in August, retiring farther southwards in October. 



DESCRIPTION 



Of a male, killed on the Saskatchewan plains, May, 1827. 



Colour. — Upper plumage between hair-brown and oil-green, with brownish-black central 

 marks, that do not exist, however, on the upper part of the neck and wing coverts. The 

 scapulars, interscapulars, tertiaries, shoulders, and the inner webs of the central tail feathers, 

 are longitudinally striped near their margins with white ; the wing edged and greater coverts 

 sparingly spotted with the same. Crown, forehead, lores, chin, and a medial stripe on the 

 throat, black. A line between the eyes, orbits, cheeks, sides of the throat, and breast, bluish- 

 grey. Flanks, sides of the rump, and thighs barred with white, blackish-brown, and hair- 

 brown. Vent buff-orange, barred and edged with black. Belly and under tail coverts white, 

 the latter tipped with buff. Bill bright yellow. Legs greenish-yellow. 



Form. — Bill short, straight, much compressed ; its depth at the base equal to half its 

 length. Upper mandible obsoletely notched at the tip. Wings short and rounded ; second 

 quill, which is the longest, slightly exceeding the third ; first equal to the fifth. Hind toe 

 equal in length to the first phalanx of the outer toe. Nails much compressed, slightly 

 curved, and acute like those of the Merulida. 



Dimensions 

 Of the male. 



Inch. Lin. Inch. Lin. Inch. Lin. 



Length, total . . .93 Length of bill to rictus . 10| Length of inner toe . 1 0| 



„ of tail ..21 „ of tarsus . . 1 3J „ of its nail . . 3£ 



„ of wing . . 4 4^ „ of middle toe . 1 3J „ of hind toe . .0 5 



„ of bill above . 10| „ of middle nail .04 „ of its nail 2| 



— R. 



* We concur with M. Temminck and the Prince of Musignano in not adopting, even as types of form, the genera 

 named Crex, Ortygometra, and Zapornia ; while very many of the modern species of the Gallinula are true Ralli. 

 — Sw. 



3 F 2 



