[168:] 1. H allos N ovoborâcensis. (Bonap:) YélloW-breaâiêâ Rail.
Genus, Rallus, Lin n. ,
- - r Ÿellôw-breasted GaUinuIe.; P e n n . Arct. Zool., ii.,ÿ.491J'No.l410.'
; Per^ix Hudsonica. Lath. Jnd., ii., jk'$5^ sp;. 41,
Gallinula Novoborâcensis. Idem,, ii., p. 77 L sp. 16.
■ Rallus rüficoÜis. Vie il . Gal., 266.
Rallus Novoborâcensis. B onap. Syn., p. 273.
Pawpakapæteèsees. Créé I ndians.'
W e did hot obtain specimens of this bird, nor did we learn any particulars
respecting the extent of its migrations. Pennant and Latham merely described
examples that were in the Blackburnian Muséum, without giving “any account
of its habits ; and as it is not noticed by Wilson, a history of it is still a desideratum.
It is to be hoped that this will be supplied by the Prince of Musignano,
in the forthcoming volume of American Ornithology. In the meantime, Mr.
Hutchins’s manuscript notice, written about the year 1777, may be interesting
to ornithologists :—
“ This elegant bird is an inhabitant of the marshes* from the middle of May
to the end of September. It never flies above sixty yards at a time,* but runs
with great rapidity among the long grass near the shores.. In the morning and
evening it utters a note, which resembles the striking of a flint and steel ; at
other times it makes a shrieking noise. It builds no nest, but lays from ten to
sixteen perfectly white eggs among the grass.”
DESCRIPTION.
“ The upper mandible is black throughout; the lower one resembles the horn of lanterns,
with a, black nib. Indes dark brown. The forehead is dark brown;., the posterior part; of
the neck is speckled with white} the scapulars and coverts of the wings are- black, each
feather edged with yellowish-browq., and neatly barred with white across the,middle and near
the end; the quill feathers arc light blue,.the external web of the first white ; some of the
secondaries are white, shaded with blue* Tail very short, dark cploured,..crossed -by white,
and gently edged with light brown : the coverts of the tail are void-of .edging,; . Throat white ;
breast light brown ; belly white, with brown-partitions ; thighs black, barred with white.
Leas of a faint lead colour. Toes long and slender; the outer and middle one, connected ^
little way by a membrane.—The young ones are quite black.”
* On the coast of Hudson’s Bay, near the efflux ,of Severn River,- where" Mr. Hutchins resided.—R.
GRALLATORES.
[169.] 2. R alltjs Carolines. (Bonap.) Carolina Rail.
Genus, Rallus, Lin n .* _
Little American Water-hen ( Gallinula minor). Edw., pi, 144.
Soree gallinule. P enn. Arct. (Gallinula Carolina. ZooZ., ii., P- 491, No.'409'. Lath." Jrad,'ii., p. 77b # 17- . Rail (.Rallus Virginianus). Wils.,' vi., p. 27, pi. 48, f. 1. Ral. Carolinus, Gen. Ind.
Gallinula Carolina (Soree gallinule). Sab. Frankl. Journ., p. 690.
Rallus Carolinus. B o na p.--Syn.,No. 272. Pawpawkaw-paeteesew. Cree I ndians.
This bird is common in the summer season throughout the fur-countries up to
the sixty-second parallel, and is particularly abundant on the banks of the small
lakes that skirt the Saskatchewan plains. It is scarce in the summer within
the United States, though a* few breed there; but arrives in great numbers on the
Delaware in August, retiring farther southwards in October.
DESCRIPTION
; Of a male, killed on the Saskatchewan plains, May, 1827*
Colour .— Upper plumage between hair-brown and oil-green, with brownish-black central
marks, that do not exist, however, on the upper part of the neCk and wing coverts. The
scapulars, interscapulars, tertiaries, shoulders, and the inner webs of thé central tail feathers,
are longitudinally striped near their margins with white; the wing edged and greater coverts
sparingly spotted with the same. Crown, forehead, lores, chin, and a medial stripe on the
throat, black. A line between the eyes, orbits, chleks, sides of the throat, and breast, blnish-
grey. Flanks, sides of the rump, and thighs barred with white, blackish-brown, and hair-
brown. Vent buff-orange, barred and edged with black. Belly and under tail coverts white,
the latter tipped with buff. Bill bright yellbw. Legs greenish-yellow.
Form- B ill short,-straight, much, compressed; its depth at the :base. equal to half its
length , Upper mandible obsoletely netched at the tip. Wings short and rounded ; second
quill, which is'the longest, slightly, exceeding the' third; first equal to the. fifth. Hunt £
equal in length to the first phalanx of _ the outer toe. Nails much compressed, slightly
curved, and acute like those of the Merulidas.
Dimensions
Of the male.
Length of bill to rictus
„ of tarsus ".
„ of middle toe
„ of middle nail
In0c h. 1L0in1. Length of inner toe
1 3i „ of its nail ’ .
1 3I „ o f hind toe
0 4 „ of its nail .
Length, total . • • 1
„ of tail • • S
of wing • • 4
„ of bill above • (
na. lWele J conroar ^with »M. T 1emm Hinck anid the Prince of Musignano in not adopting, even as types of form, | | | | § * M 11 of the modem species of the S n t n w u are true RaU,
3 F *2