LEAST WATER RAIL. 
159 
latter colour. The hiud neclc and fore part of the back dark chestnut ; the 
rest of the back and tail-coverts greyish-black, transversely barred with 
white. Wing-coverts and inner secondaries reddish-brown, with white 
spots ; the other quills more dusky. The tail-feathers also reddish-brown, 
barred with dusky and marked with white spots. 
Length to end of tail 6 inches ; wing from flexure 3-J; tail l-Jgj bill along 
the ridge i, along the edge of lower mandible bare part of tibia tarsus 
1 ; hind toe and claw middle toe and claw 1, outer toe and claw inner 
toe and claw $. 
Young a few days old. 
While yet covered with down, the young is black all over ; the bill bright 
yellow, with the point of the upper mandible, and a band across the middle 
of the lower, black ; the feet dull yellowish-green, the claws dusky 
Since the above was written, I have received a letter from my friend J. 
Trudeau, M. D., in which he says that his father shot a considerable num- 
ber of these birds last winter in tho vicinity of New Orleans. 
Genus IY. — RALLUS, Linn. RAIL. 
Bill much longer than the head, slender, compressed, very slightly de- 
curved, high at the base ; upper mandible with the dorsal line almost straight, 
until towards the end, where it is slightly curved, the ridge a little flattened 
at the base, and extending slightly on the forehead, convex toward the end, 
nasal sinus forming a groove extending to two-thirds, the sides nearly erect, 
the edges slightly inflected, the notches very slight, the tip rather obtuse ; 
lower mandible with the angle very long and extremely narrow, the dorsal 
line almost straight, the sides erect and a little convex, the edges involute, 
the tip narrowed but obtuse. Nostrils lateral, sub-basal, linear. Head 
small, oblong, much compressed ; neck long and slender ; body slender, much 
compressed. Feet long ; tibia bare below ; tarsus rather long, stout, com- 
pressed anteriorly, covered with broad scutella ; hind toe very small and 
tender, fourth little longer than second, anterior toes very long, scutellate, 
compressed. Claws of moderate length, arched, slender, much compressed, 
