826 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Peninsula, locally in N. Italy, S. Spain. In Asia to W. Siberia and 

 Turkestan, while a closely-allied race replaces it further eastwards. 

 European Cranes migrate in autumn southwards to Africa as far as 

 Marocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Kordofan, Sobat, to Abyssinia. Once 

 Faeroes. 



[Note. — An American Brown Crane, Megalornis canadensis (L.), 

 recorded as shot co. Cork, Ireland, September 14th, 1905 (A. R. Nichols, 

 Irish Nat., 1907, p. 209), had probably escaped from captivity {Brit. B., i, 

 p. 90). This species inhabits N. America in two subspecies, also N.E. Siberia, 

 and migrates in winter to Mexico, casual California.] 



[Note. — A Demoiselle Crane, Anthropoides virgo (L.), one of two seen, 

 said to have been shot Orkneys, May 14th, 1863 (Yarrell, in, p. 192 ; Saunders, 

 p. 522), had probably escaped from captivity. Another was erroneously 

 recorded from Somerset. The bird breeds in south Spain (?), the Dobrogea 

 and south Russia, as well as in north-west Africa, and many parts of Asia, 

 migrating south to Nile, Atbara, Sobat, Abyssinia, while stragglers have 

 occurred in Sweden, Heligoland, Germany. Frequently kept in confinement.] 



[Note. — An African Crowned Crane, Balearica pavonina (L.), shot in 

 Ayrshire, Sept. 17, 1871, had doubtless escaped from captivity (Yarrell, in, 

 p. 192 ; Saunders, p. 522). Four races of this species inhabit west, east, 

 north-east, and south Africa.] 



Family RALLID^E. 



Mostly small or medium sized birds, schizognathous but 

 holorhine. 14-15 cervical vertebrae. Sternum as a rule long and 

 narrow, with only one incision on each side. No basipterygoid 

 processes. Aquintocubital. Contour feathers with small after- 

 shafts. Rectrices about 10-14, mostly 12. Body more or less 

 obviously laterally compressed. Wings generally short and 

 rounded. A distinct sharp claw at end of thumb-bone. Oil-gland 

 feathered. Hallux always present. Toes generally long. Chicks 

 nidifugous, wing-bones as a rule very strongly developed and very 

 little covered with down. Subdivision into subfamilies arbitrary 

 and of no value. Cosmopolitan, a number of more or less flightless 

 forms on oceanic islands. 



Key to genera of Family Rallidje. 



/Bill as long as middle toe with claw or longer . . . Rallus 



\ Bill shorter than middle toe with claw . _ . . . 2 



/Toes laterally lobed Fulica 



\Toes not laterally lobed 3 



f Bill stronger, height of bill at base more than half length of 



1 bill, quills cinnamon-red Crex 



l Bill less strong, height of bill at base less than half length of 

 ^ bill, quills not cinnamon-red 4 



f Middle toe without claw at least 1 cm. longer than tarsus, 



' adults with bare red shield on fore-head .... Gallinula 



i Middle toe without claw if at all only a few mm. longer than 



[_ tarsus, no bare frontal shield Porzana 



