LITTLE GALLINULE. 



301 



the under part of the neck ; the rump plain olive brown ; the tail of a 

 similar colour ; the legs bright green, bare for three-eighths of an inch 

 above the knee, and an inch and a half along from the knee to the 

 toes ; the middle toe, including the claw, is of the same length ; the 

 claws horn-colour ; the hind toe, including the claw, five-eighths of an 

 inch long. The tail is much mutilated, but the remaining feathers are 

 as described, and extend a trifle beyond the point of the wings. 



We might have been induced to have considered this bird as an 

 accidental lusus variety of the spotted water-hen, had it not been for its 

 very inferior size, and other peculiarities. By weight it is about half 

 the size of the spotted species, and is inferior in length about an inch 

 and a quarter. It has more the shape of the land-rail, being long in 

 proportion to its bulk, and much compressed ; the legs and toes are full 

 as long as those of the spotted species ; the bill is also of equal length, 

 and rather more slender ; the head is smaller, and the neck much more 

 slender ; the form of the forehead is essentially different, the feathers 

 sloping from the front to the gape very considerably, which is not the 

 case with the other species ; the hind toe is also rather longer than 

 that of an old male spotted water-hen, with which it was compared ; 

 the tertials of the wings are remarkably short, an unusual circumstance 

 for a bird of this genus, for, in the land-rail and spotted gallinule, 

 the tertials almost obscure the whole of the primary quills when the 

 wing is closed. There does not appear to be any defect or mutilation 

 in the wings, and both sides are similar, the tertials equally extending 

 to only the point of the seventh feather of the primary quills, leaving 

 the points of the first six conspicuous. The common gallinule, in- 

 deed, has not the whole of the primary quills concealed by the tertials, 

 as the ends of four or five may be seen beyond them when the wings 

 are closed. 



We have been thus particular, lest a hasty conclusion might be 

 drawn, that this bird is either the young, or a lusus variety, of the 

 spotted gallinule ; whereas, by the comparative particulars here re- 

 lated, such an opinion cannot exist. We have obtained specimens of 

 the spotted gallinule early in September, and some were evidently the 

 young of that season ; and the chief distinction between them and the 

 old birds consisted in being rather less spotted, and the colours not 

 so generally bright, besides being rather smaller ; and in these, as in 

 all other young birds, the bill and toes were in proportion. This bird, 

 although not above half the weight, and considerably inferior in length, 

 has the bill and toes fully as long, and more slender, and the back toe 

 rather longer. We have never seen the spotted gallinule in its in- 

 fancy, nor, perhaps, so soon as it could fly ; but the shape and propor- 



