rallinjh:. 
eiirftice  of  the  water  on  the  floating  plants.  Their  food  consists  of  worms,  slugs,  and  insects,  as  well  as  the  leaves  and 
seeds  of  water  plants.  The  nest  is  composed  of  sedge  and  coarse  grass,  and  is  always  placed  in  a retired  marshy 
situation.  The  eggs  are  usually  ten  to  twelve  in  number. 
1.  R.  aquatieus  Linn.  PI.  enT.  749.  — Scolopax  obscurus  S.  G. 
Gmel.,  Gould,  B.  of  Eur.  pi.  33Q. 
2.  R.  virginianus  Linn.  Edwards’s  Birds,  pi.  279.,  Wils.  Amer. 
Om.  pi.  62.  f.  I.,  Audub.  B.  of  Amer.  pi.  205.  — Rallus  limicola 
VieilL  ; R.  ryihirhyncbos  Vieill.  ? Azara,  No.  372.  ? 
3.  R.  crepitans  Gmel.  Wils.  Amer.  Orn.  pi.  62.  f.  2.,  Audub. 
B.  of  Amer.  pi.  204. 
4.  R.  elegans  Audub.  B.  of  Amer.  pi.  203. 
5.  R.  hrachipus  Swains.  Two  Cent,  and  a Quart,  p.  336. 
6.  R.  Lewini  Swains.  Two  Cent,  and  a Quart,  p.  336. 
7.  R ceerulescens  Gmel. — Rallus  caffer  i^orst.  Desc.’-.  Anira.  p.  50., 
Icon.  ined.  129. 
8.  R.  nigricans  Vieill.  N.  Diet.  d’Hist.  Nat.  xxviii.  p.  560. 
.9.  R.  superciiiosus  Swains.  Two  Cent,  and  a Quart,  p.  335. 
10.  R.  neglectus  Swains.  Two  Cent,  and  a Quart,  p.  335- 
1.  R.  longirostris  Bodd.  PI.  enl.  849. 
12.  R.  albiventer  Swains.  Two  Cent,  and  a Quart.  P- 
Gallinula  gularis  Gray. 
13.  R.  madagascariensis  A.  Smith,  S.  Afr.  Journ.  i-  P- 
Biensis  typicus  Puck  ; Type  of  Biensis  Pitch.  (1845). 
14.  R.  philippensis  Linn.  PI.  enl.  774.  — Rallus  striatus  ; 
Briss.  Orn.  v.  t.  14.  f.  2.  ^ 
15.  R.  pacifietts  Gmel.  Forst.  Descr.  An.  p.  177-) 
128.  et  127.  ? 
16.  R.  pectoralis  Cuv. 
17.  ? R.  assimilisG.  R.  Gray.  DiefF.  Trav.  N.  Z.  App-  P- 
18.  R.  gularis  Horsf.  Linn.  Trans,  xiii.  p.  I96. 
OuTYGOMETUA  Linn.*' 
Bill  shorter  than  the  head,  and  more  or  less  strong,  with  the  culmen  keeled,  slightly  curved,  ana  the 
sides  compressed  to  the  tip,  which  is  slightly  emarginated,  the  gonys  short  and  ascending;  the  nostril® 
lateral  and  placed  in  a membranous  groove,  with  the  opening  exposed,  linear,  and  near  the  Tnia<ll®'_ 
Wing.s  moderate,  with  the  second  and  third  quills  equal  and  longest.  Tail  short  and  graduated. 
rather  robust.  Toes  more  or  less  long  and  slender,  with  the  inner  toe  rather  shorter  than  the  outer?  th 
hind  toe  very  slender,  and  rather  short ; the  claws  moderate,  compressed,  and  acute. 
Tlie  species  which  form  this  genus  are  found  in  most  parts  of  the  world  : they  live  in  the  meadows,  especially 
that  are  occasionally  subject  to  inundations,  marshy  places,  and  borders  of  rivers;  and  as  they  are  shy  and  solitary^/ ’ 
conceal  themselves  among  the  reeds  and  tall  grass,  through  which  they  are  capable  of  running  with  ease  and 
Worms,  insects,  molluscous  animals  and  seeds,  form  their  chief  subsistence.  The  nest  is  generally  formed 
ground  in  the  neighbourhood  of  water ; it  is  composed  of  grass  and  dry  herbage,  and  is  usually  placed  in  a sligW  li° 
made  by  the  bird ; the  female  lays  from  ten  to  fourteen  ep'o’s. 
1.  O.  crex  (Gmel.)  PI.  enl.  750.  — Crex  pratensis  Bechst.;  Fu- 
licamevia  Gmel.,  Albin,  ii.  pi.  73.,  Gould,  B.  of  Eur.  pi.  341. 
2.  O.  Carolina  (Linn.)  Edwards’s  Birds,  pi.  144.,  Wils.  Amer. 
Orn  pi.  48.  f.  1.  — Rallus  stolidus  et  R.  melanops  Vieill.  ? Azara, 
No.  373.  ? 
3.  G,  porzana  (Linn.)  PJ.  enl.  751.  — Ortygometra  marmorata 
Leach,  Gould,  B.  of  Eur.  pi.  343. 
4.  O.fluminea  (Gould.)  Proc.  Z.  S.  1842.  p.  I39. 
5.  O.  maculosa  ( 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.  ISp. 
8.  O ajinis  G.  R.  Gray.  Voy.  Ereb.  & Terr.  Zool.  p. 
9.  O.  pygmcea  (Naum.)  — Gallinula  Bailloni  Vieill- ’>  G- 
Mont. ; G.  stellaris  Temm.,  Gould,  B.  of  Eur.  pi.  344.  ^ 
10.  O.  minuta  (Pall.) — Rallus  pusillus  Gmel.  ; R-  oi 
Gallinula  minuta  Mont.,  Gould,  B.  of  Eur.  pi.  345. ; " 
Phalaridion  Kanp  (1829)  I R.  Peyrousei  Vieill.  ? 
11.  O.  faviventer  (Bodd.)  PI,  enl.  847.,  Azara, 
Rallus  minutus  Gmel. ; R.  superciliaris  Vieill.  ? 
12.  O.  cinerea  (Vieill.)  N.  Diet.  d’Hist.  Nat.  xxviii  P- 
Rallus  exilis  Temm.  PI.  eol.  523. 
1.3.  O.  albicollis  (Vieill.)  N.  Diet.  d’Hist.  Nat.  xxviii.  P' 
Crex  mustelina  Licht.  Azara,  No.  374. 
377-' 
56O. 
and 
r Lmn'eu^^fWi^hed  this  genus  in  1744.  Porzana  of  Vieillot  (I8I6),  Zapornia  of  Leaeb  (I8I6), 
1 Ralhtefi  (1 84.5)  of  M.  Pucheran  are  synonymous.  ^ ^ 
5 X 
• synonymous 
Phalaridion 
ndion  onL  Kaup 
8^9)’ 
