VARIABLE RAIL. 
199 
black and white stripes on a brown ground : the hind 
part of the neck appears striated, but on the back 
more like spots, and more white than black : the 
rump is plain : the under parts from the chin, and 
down the middle to the breast, ash-colour ; but the 
neck, on the sides, the breast, and belly, are striated 
with black and white : vent pale ferruginous-brown : 
the wing-coverts not to be distinguished in markings 
from the back : quills spotted brown and white : the 
tail is very little longer than the wings : the legs are 
flesh-colour : claws brown. Inhabits Otaheite." 
The variety " has the head paler, and the streak 
over the eye grey : the hind part of the neck trans- 
versely striated brown and white : the middle of the 
back and scapulars white, with a very little mixture 
of brown on the first : wing-coverts olive-brown, trans- 
versely blotched with white ; second quills white on 
the inner webs, on the outer olive-brown ; the greater 
quills olive-brown, marked with large ferruginous 
spots ; the first wholly white, the second white 
within : tail even with the end of the quills, barred 
olive-brown and white : all the under parts white : 
beak and legs pale yellow-brown. Inhabits Tonga- 
taboo.'* 
