3 5 8 GA D V V A I . I I DUCK.
6 twelfths, for 2 inches at the commencement 2 twelfths, towards the
end 24 twelfths, their extremity rounded.
The trachea, A, is 74 inches long ; its diameter at the upper part 4
twelfths, gradually diminishing to 34 twelfths S then enlarges to 5
twelfths, and contracts to 34 twelfths at the commencement (>C thejdi-
' làta&ion of the inferior larynx, which is extremely similar to that of the
Widgeon, but larger^; there being an enlargement, i, formed by a number
of the lower rings united, and to the left side a rounded bony tympanum/;
the greatest transverse diameter of thisipart, from i to j , is 1 mch
1 twelfth. The bronchi, a« of moderate size1, covered with a dense
layer of adipose matter.
( 359 )
L E A S T WATKR RAIL.
ItA l.lATS JAMAICESMS, GMEL.
P L A T E CCCXLIX. MALE AND YOUSG.
' Mv knowledge of this pretty little specie» is: altogether derived
from TITIAN PEAI.E, ES|.,' of Philadelphia, by whom, in October 1836,
I was favoured with the "following letter :—
" I herewith send you thf Little Rail' of which we wore speaking
yesterday, and the letter of Dr ROWAN which relates to it. The young
died soon after I received them, but the old one .lived with me until
jtlie 26th of July (four days after its capture), efvincing considerable
anxiety for the-young* as long as they lived. Both -young and old partook
sparingly of Indian meal and water, or bread ¡util water, and soon
became tpiite at home, - and probably might have been domesticated,
had they been prop<:rh"'aocommuilatod.
•' The 'most remarkable part of the history t f this individual is, that
after its death we should-i^e'lfilllviered on dissection that it was a
male, rendering it singularly curious thajf Tie should have suffered himself
to be captured by hand while in défonce of the young brood.
" There is now in the Museum a specimen of this species, which has
been in the collection for about thirty years, Said to have been caught
in the vicinity of the city. It. stands labelled ' Little Rail, Saltus minuius,
Turtoh's Linn ;' but the authenticity of the specimen has always
been disputed by BOÎMPARTE and others, because none else had been
found; and this? author just named expressed a belief that it was an
immature specimen of llallm (Crex) Porzama of Europe..
" I regret that I should have mislaid the measurements of the
specimen when recent, it' any were taken, and cannot lay my hands on
them, or any thing more than the above notes. Respectfully yours, &c.
T I T I A N R . PEALE."
Inclosed in Mr P E ALE'S letter .was the following note from Dr
ROWAN " to the Messrs PEAI.ES."