THE CLAPPER RAIL. 171 
late above, compressed, granulate beneath. Claws of moderate length, 
arched, slender, much compressed, acute, flat, and marginate beneath. 
Plumage rather stiff, compact, and glossed on the upper parts. Feathers 
of the head and neck short and blended, of the forehead with the shaft 
enlarged and extended beyond the tip. Wings very short and broad ; alula 
large ; primaries curved, broad, tapering, but obtuse, third longest, second 
scarcely shorter, first and seventh about equal ; secondaries weak, broad, 
rounded. Tail extremely short, much rounded, of twelve feeble, rounded 
feathers; the upper and lower coverts nearly as long as the tail-feathers. 
Lower mandible and edges of upper yellowish-brown ; ridge of upper and 
tips of both deep brown. Iris pale yellow. Feet pale livid grey, tinged 
with orange about the tibio-tarsal joint ; claws dusky. Upper part of the 
head and hind neck dull brown, the bristle-like shafts of the frontal feathers 
brownish-black ; a pale brownish-orange line from the bill over the eye ; 
loral space and sides of the head dull bluish-grey, the two sides of each 
feather being of the latter colour. Wing-coverts dull olive, tinged with 
grey, some of them with slight irregular whitish markings ; alula and prima- 
ries olive-brown ; secondaries and tail feathers like the back. Chin yellow- 
ish-white, edged on either side with pale yellowish-brown ; sides and fore 
part of the neck bluish-grey, tinged more especially before with dull pale 
yellowish-brown ; the fore part of the breast of the latter colour. Lower 
wing-covert, sides, hind part of abdomen, and middle lower tail-coverts, 
undulated with deep greyish-brown and greyish-white, lateral tail-coverts 
with the outer webs white ; tibial feathers similarly barred, but paler, 
middle of the abdomen greyish-white. 
Length to end of tail 15 inches, to end of claws 20, extent of wings 201; 
bill tarsus 2, middle toe and claw 2fV; wing from flexure 6 x \ ; tail 21. 
Weight 11 oz. 
Adult Female. 
The female, which is smaller than the male, is similar in colouring, but 
has the tints somewhat duller. 
Length to end of tail 14 inches, to end of claws 171; extent of wings 19^. 
Weight 74 oz. 
In an adult male of this species preserved in spirits, the anterior part of 
the roof of the mouth has a prominent median ridge, and two deep grooves. 
The tongue is very long, remarkably slender, trigonal, canaliculate, tapering 
to a bristly point, its base emarginate and papillate, its length 1 inch 11 
twelfths. The width of the mouth is only 4 twelfths. The oesophagus, 
Fig. 1, a b c, is 8 inches long, narrow in its upper third, where its width is 
four twelfths, enlarging a little at the lower part. The breadth of the pro- 
ventriculus is 9 twelfths. The lobes of the liver are very unequal, the right 
