Part 26

Order RALLIFORMES.

RAILS, GALLINULES, AND COOTS.

Size medium to small; body compressed; thighs very muscular; legs rather long; toes long; wing short and rounded; tail short and soft, composed of ten or twelve feathers; bill strong but variable in form; long and slightly curved in typical rails, short and thick in the crakes, subconical and heavy in Porphyrio; nostrils pervious and variable in shape; wing usually bearing a short spine or a flattened knob. Most of the species inhabit marsh-land, rice-fields, or thick beds of reeds bordering ponds and streams; Rallina, Amaurornis, and Gallicrex are often found in dry fields or underbrush at considerable distances from water. The nest is placed on the ground and well concealed among reeds or bunches of grass; usually situated near water or marshy ground. The eggs vary in number from four to ten, and are usually much spotted and streaked. The downy young are coal-black.

Family RALLIDÆ.

Characters same as those given for the Order.

Subfamilies.

a1. Toes without webs or lobes. ... Rallinæ (p. 66) a2. Toes lobate. ... Fulicinæ (p. 81)

Subfamily RALLINÆ.

Genera.

a1. No frontal shield.

b1. Bill more slender; exposed culmen equal to middle toe without claw. ... Hypotænidia (p. 66) b2. Bill stouter; exposed culmen much less than middle toe without claw.

c1. Culmen not swollen at base; wing less than 140 mm.

d1. Tarsus longer than middle toe with claw. ... Rallina (p. 69) d2. Tarsus about equal to middle toe with claw or shorter.

e1. Culmen decidedly longer than hind toe with claw; under tail-coverts banded with white.

f1. Smaller; wing, 90 mm. or less; forehead, throat, and breast slate-gray. ... Porzana (p. 71) f2. Larger; wing, 100 mm. or more; forehead, throat, and breast chestnut. ... Limnobænus (p. 73)

e2. Culmen but little longer than hind toe with claw; under tail-coverts unbanded. ... Poliolimnas (p. 73)

c2. Culmen slightly swollen at base but not forming a frontal shield; wing more than 150 mm. ... Amaurornis (p. 75)

a2. Frontal shield present; legs and feet long and heavy.

b1. Nostrils elongate; frontal shield narrower; terminal half of bill green or yellowish green.

c1. Under tail-coverts pure white; tarsus less than 65 mm. ... Gallinula (p. 77) c2. Under tail-coverts not white; tarsus more than 75 mm. ... Gallicrex (p. 78)

b2. Nostrils small and circular; frontal shield wider; bill all red. ... Porphyrio (p. 80)

Genus HYPOTÆNIDIA Reichenbach, 1852.

Bill slender; abdomen and flanks black or brown, banded with white.

Species.

a1. Chin white; upper parts more or less spotted with white.

b1. Smaller; wing less than 125 mm.; breast uniform; no white eyebrow. ... striata (p. 67) b2. Larger; wing more than 140 mm.; breast barred with black and white; a white eyebrow. ... philippensis (p. 67)

a2. Chin black; upper parts uniform. ... torquata (p. 68)

57. HYPOTÆNIDIA STRIATA (Linnæus).