No. 483] WOOD RAILS NORTH OF PANAMA 187 



Remarks: I feel confident that I am right in placing this bird 

 among the subspecies of A. albiventris, rather than to allow it 

 specific rank. In all essential points — the long slender bill and 

 chestnut color of the occiput and crown it agrees with A. albiven- 

 tris albiventris and A. albiventris mexicanm. The brown mantle 

 strikes one at first as a very strong point of difference, but this 

 is in reality only a difference of degree, many northern skins 

 showing a very decided approach to it, though it is in them never 

 quite complete all across the back as it invariably is in the Costa 

 Rican bird. The southern form is also somewhat smaller and 

 darker in color below than either of the other two races, but every 

 indication, in my opinion, points to its being a representative 

 geographic form — subspecies — of the A. albiventris type. 



The specimen from Segovia River, Honduras, unquestionably 

 belongs here, as first pointed out by Richmond (Proc. U. S. Nat. 

 Mus. 16, p. 528, 1894). It is young, and as it happens is the 

 only young example of any of these rails, except .1. axillaris, 

 that I have seen. The feathers of the underparts, especially 

 the belly, are more flulfy than in the adults and in color it 

 differs in the belly (black in the adult phnnagc) being bhick only 

 at the base of the feathers which arc externally tipped and suf- 

 fused with the tawny color of the breast and in llie rump, also 

 clothed in fluffy feathers, being ,l(-<i.le,lly paler and browner. 

 Though badly shot in the back and neck with many feathers 

 from these parts lacking, the complett^ mantle of olivaceous- 

 tawny is plainly to be seen. The bill is not full grown and is 

 very immature in appearance. Judging from this skin it appears 

 that the species of Aramides of this group do not have a brownish 

 gray breasted juvenile pliunage as does A. axillari.^ and its allies. 



