KALUN.K. 
BOrfaoe  01  the  water  On  the  floating  plants.  Their  food  consists  of  worms,  BlugS,  and  insects,  as  well  as  the  leaves  and 
seeds  of  water  plants.  The  nest  is  composed  of  Bedge  and  coarse  grass,  and  is  always  placed  in  a  retired  marshy 
situation.     The  ejXKs  we  usually  ten  to  twelve  in  number. 
1.  R.  aquatiotU  Linn.  PI,  enL  74!).  —  Seolopax  obscurus  S.  G.  | 
GmeL,  Gould,  B.  of  Eur.  pi.  839. 
2.  It.  virginianut  I. inn.  Edwards's  Birds,  pi.  27!),  Wrils.  Amer.  ! 
Orn.  pl.t).',  f.  l..  Audub.  B.  of  Amer.  pi.  205.  —  Rallus  limicola 
l'n  ill.  ;  It.  ry ihirhy nchos  Virill.  ?  A/ara,  No.  372.  ? 
It.  crepitant  Grael.  Wils.  Amer.  Orn.  pL  62.  f.  2.,  Audub.  ' 
B.  of  Amer.  pi.  204. 
4.  It.  elegant  Audub.  B.  Of  Amer.  pi.  203. 
5.  It.  hrachi/mx  Swains.    Two  Cent,  and  a  Quart,  p.  336. 
6.  It.  Lewini  Swains.  Two  Cent,  and  a  Quart,  p.  336. 
~.  It  ru  rii/i  xi  fiin  duel. —  Itallus  eaffer  l-'orxt.  Dcscr.  Anim.  p.  50., 
Icon.  ined.  1  29. 
8.  It.  nigricant  Vieill.  N.  Diet,  d' Hist.  Nat.  xxviii.  p.  560. 
0.  It.  tuperetiiotut  Swains.  Two  Cent,  and  a  Quart,  p.  335. 
10.  It.  neglect  an  Swains.  Two  Cent,  and  a  Quart,  p.  335. 
I.  It.  longiroetrii  Bodd.  PI.  enL  849. 
12.  It.  ulbirenter  Swains.  Two  Cent,  and  a  Quart,  p.  331.  — 
Gallinula  gularia  Gray. 
\3.  It.  madagaecarieneie  A.  Smith,  S.  Afr.  Journ.  i.  p.  80.  — 
Bienaia  typicus  Puch  ;  Type  of  Biensis  Pitch.  (1845). 
14.  R.  philippensie  Linn.  PL  enl.  774. —  Itallus  striatus  Linn., 
Briss.  Orn.  v.  t.  1 4.  f.  2. 
15.  R.  pacificue  Gmel.  Forst.  Descr.  An.  p.  177.,  Icon.  ined. 
128.  et  127.  ? 
lC.  It.  pectorahs  Cuv. 
17.  ?  It.  assimilis  G.  R.  Gray.  Dieff.  Trav.  N.  Z.  App.  p.  197. 
18.  R.  gularis  Horsf.  Linn.  Trans,  xiii.  p.  !<)()'. 
O  it  T  Y  GO  M  E  T  It  A  Lift  H .  * 
Bill  shorter  than  the  head,  and  more  or  less  strong,  with  the  culmen  keeled,  slightly  curved,  and  the 
sides  compressed  to  the  tip,  which  is  slightly  emarginated,  the  gonys  short  and  ascending ;  the  nostrils 
lateral  and  placed  in  a  membranous  groove,  with  the  opening  exposed,  linear,  and  near  the  middle. 
Wings  moderate,  with  the  second  and  third  quills  equal  and  longest.  Tail  short  and  graduated.  Tarsi 
rather  robust.  Toes  more  or  less  long  and  slender,  with  the  inner  toe  rather  shorter  than  the  outer,  the 
hind  toe  very  slender,  and  rather  short  ;  the  claws  moderate,  compressed,  and  acute. 
The  species  which  form  this  genus  are  found  in  most  parts  of  the  world :  they  live  in  the  meadows,  especially  those 
that  are  occasionally  subject  to  inundations,  marshy  places,  and  borders  of  rivers;  and  as  they  are  shy  and  solitary,  they 
conceal  themselves  among  the  reeds  and  tall  grass,  through  which  they  are  capable  of  running  with  ease  and  rapidity. 
"Worms,  insects,  molluscous  animals  and  seeds,  form  their  chief  subsistence.  The  nest  is  generally  formed  on  the 
ground  in  the  neighbourhood  of  water;  it  is  composed  of  grass  and  dry  herbage,  and  is  usually  placed  in  a  slight  hollow 
made  by  the  bird ;  the  female  lays  from  ten  to  fourteen  eggs. 
1.  O.  crex  (Gmel.)  PL  enl.  750.  — Crex  pratensis  Bech.it.;  Fu- 
lica  nsevia  Gmel.,  Albin,  ii.  pi.  73.,  Gould,  B.  of  Eur.  pL  341. 
2.  O.  Carolina  (Linn.)  Edwards's  Birds,  pi.  144.,  "Wils.  Amer. 
Orn  pi.  48.  f.  1.  —  Rallus  stolidus  et  R.  inelanops  Vieill.  ?  Azara, 
No.  373.  ? 
3.  O.  porzana  (Linn.)  PL  enl.  751.  —  Ortygometra  marmorata 
Leach,  Gould,  B.  of  Eur.  pi.  343. 
4.  O.fluminea  (Gould.)  Proc.  Z.  S.  1842.  p.  139- 
5.  O.  maculosa  C  Vieill.1)  N.  Diet.  d'Hist.  Nat.  xxviii.  p.  556., 
Azara,  No.  378. 
6.  O.  jamaicensis  (Gmel.)  Edwards's  Birds,  pi.  278.,  Audub. 
B.  of  Amer.  pi.  349. 
7.  O.  palustris  (Gould.)  Proc.  Z.  S.  1842.  p.  139- 
8.  O  affinit  G.  R.  Gray.  Voy.  Ereb.  &  Terr.  Zool.  p.  14. 
9-  O.  pygmcea  (Naum.)  —  Gallinula  Bailloni  Vieill.;  G.  Foljambii 
Mont.  ;  G.  stellaris  Temm.,  Gould,  B.  of  Eur.  pi.  344. 
10.  O.  minuta  (Pall.) — Rallus  pusillus  Gmel.  ;  R.  parvus  Scop.  ; 
Gallinula  minuta  Mont.,  Gould,  B.  of  Eur.  pi.  345.  ;  Type  of 
Phalaridion  Kaup  (1829);  R.  Peyrousei  Vieill.  ? 
11.  O.  faviventer  (Bodd.)  PL  enl.  847-,  Azara,  No.  377.— 
Rallus  minutus  Gmel. ;  R.  supirciliaris  Vieill.  ? 
12.  O.  cinerea  (Vieill.)  N.  Diet.  d'Hist.  Nat.  xxviii  p.  556.  — 
Rallus  exilis  Temm.  PL  col.  523. 
13.  O.  albicollis  (Vieill.)  N.  Diet.  d'Hist.  Nat.  xxviii.  p.  560.  — 
Crex  inustelina  Licht.  Azara.  No.  374. 
*  Linnams  established  this  genus  in  1744.    Porzana  of  Vieillot  (181fi),  Zapornia  of  Leach  (1816"),  Phalaridion  of  M.  Kaup  (1829), 
and  Palliten  ( 1  845)  of  M.  Pucheran  are  synonymous. 
5  x 
