254 YELLOW- BREASTED RAIL.
the ciul of September. It never flies above sixty yards at a time, but
runs with great rapidity among the long grass near the Shores. Ill the
morning and evening it litters a note, Which resembles the striking ot'
a flint aiidst<!fcl; at other times it tnakes a shrieking noisev It builds
no tt.!sty but lsiys from ten to sixteen ¡«Meetly whit« eggs ¡liming tile
gfa^s.1' 1
Xow, this making no nest is to .iio a convincing proof that the spe-'
..¡Ps is' tot. tliere in its natural place, but finding itself pushed for time,
tod yet ob'ligfrd to-Rreed, is contented to do so under unfavourable eircuitistam
e's!- Dr RICHARDS»; Who spent'S?!v.!ral yflars it. the northern
parts of America, « not meet with this s p e c t e ' I &aW none in J.abradx.
i" or Nevtfoumlland : ami in the British provinces (if New Brunswidk
and Nova Scotirt, the «inly bird df this family known Is the Sora;
R alius carnl-inu*.
GAlLlKCiA NpVMOlACEUSl8,£<#, Ind, Ornith. vol. ii. p. 771;
RILRJA SOVKB,>K«'.KVSIS, Oh..^»««ii 8>iiop»is of Birds of irililcd StatOH,
p. 336.—®. BOMjjorti, American Onriih. vol. iv, p, 136, pi- 27, fig-2 -
M g M B M i Bi l l , iUi ^ ^ y j f i f cWl i a i i » ^ - » ' * * ^ mid But»-
lior.-Amcr. vol. ii; •(). 402.
YEpmw-BIIEASTED KAJI, 3i»iio®i Manual, vol. ii. p. 402.
Adult Male,,,, Plate CQ,CXXIX.
Bill shorter, than the head, rather stout, compressed, tapering.
l - r i ' S i rtiiuirtiblo with tbe dorsal line nearly straight, being slightly
C ( m v l . x towards the end,, the ridge narrow and convex in its whole
length, the sides convex towards the epd, the edges.sliarp, slightly
overlapping, destitu^ of notch. Nasal groove broad, and extending to
a little beyond tho middle of the bill ;, nostrils, linear, lateral, subraedial,
pervious. Lower mandible with the angle long and narrow, the;
side's erect, the dorsal line sloping upwards, the edges a little inflected,
tjie tip narrowed,, ih&gape-l^ng straight t ( ; ,
small, oblong, compressed.; Neck shortish Body
compact, deeper than broad. Feet ,.f moderat.; length,, rather stout;
tibia bare a short way above the j f c ^ M S g f ( m l i , l a r - v 0 0 m "
pressed, anteriorly covered with bn.ad scut.ijj?., V<'^! r i o r l .v » ' " h s m a l 5 e r '
and on the sides reticulated n m d ^ . s m a l l and v e® slender; mid-'
die toe longest, and longer than the tar sus ; i n n e r S f f ? 1 1 8 ^ ^
shorter thai, the outer I toes free, with numerous&itella above Cl aw^
YELLOW- BREASTED RAIL. 255
much compressed, s l i g h t ^ arched, tapering to a fine pi.int, flat and
marginate beneath.
Plumage ratMr stiff; fcut soft, Bltodèd, and slightly glossed above.
Feathers of the forehead somewhat bristly, broad and rounded ; of the
hind parte elongated. Wings short,,broad, concave; alula large, primaries
curved, broad, a b r u p t .rounded, the second longest, thud
scarcely shorter, first equal to sevehth ; second» « ; * broad and rounded,
the irinist elongated, s-ou«< of thorn extending a quarter of an mel. bef<
M the longest priniary. • ' » i l extremely sh„rt, much round«!, of ten
feeble fot aded fèathers ; the dfp'er and lower tail-covorts » long ®
liiil greenish-black, with the base dtdl yellowish-orange. Iris hwel.
Feet and daws light fiosh-cobrur. lipp-ir part of the head and hind
„eck blackish-browt., the'feathers ¿lightly edged with dull light brown- -
ish-rèd, those on ffié< occiput and hind neck « I a small white spot on
the outer edge. The upper parte ate btoWniäMlaek, longitudinally
à t r e a I i ( ! , l rfitl, brownish-pliöw, each feather being broadly margined
with 1ho latter, ¡aid crossed With from Site to tliree narrow white bars.
Alula gieVish-bfown, cach feather with à white .lot Ma r the tip ; V"
ma r t « Similar, the «.iter four unspotted ; the edge of the Wing, and
te basal half of the outer wob of the first primary yellowish white ;
outer Ä h d a r i e s greyish-biown, white towards the « id, three of them
% » i h g «hat « I s a r extending over more than half of their length ; inner
secondaries like the back ; ê arc the tail-feather». Loral space
a Tit... beyond tbc' td'e blackish-brown. Sides of the head, neck,
and anterior part of te body light brownish-red, each feather termi
nally margined with deep brown ; sides' like the hack ; axillar«»,
tower wing-coverts, and middle of the abdomen, pure white'; sides of
te rump Hie the back ; lower tftil-coterte brownish-red, with faint
whitish dots. •
Length tb end of tail 7f inches, to end Of c l am 9 | , to end of wings
7 ; extent of wings 12^ ; wing flkmi flesrtrfe S f t ; tail 1 A ; tarsus H ;
, fiif 'toe and claw '0, «Co n d toe ¡8, its claw ; third toe i t s
claw » ; fourth toe- {% its claw Weight 2f ux.
The f ema l e is smaller than the-male, but similar in cölour.
I.eugth to end of tail gf inches, to end of claws S | ; extent of
wiiig« U . Weight 2 Oz.