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Show 1868.] ON THE AMERICAN RALLIDAE. 443 munication, may be very naturally divided into three subfamilies, follows:- a. digiti omnino sejuncti: tarsus elongatus: caudas rectrices parva? breves, laxae, X aut XII. a', frons plumosus: pedes gressorii: tarsus plus minusve rotundatus: digiti non-membranati I. R A L L I N A. b'. frons scutatus: pedes natatorii: tarsus plus minusve compressus: digiti plerumque aut membranati aut lobati II. FTJLICIN.E. b. digiti ad basin juncti: tarsus brevis: caudae rectrices magna; elongatae, rigidre, XVIII III. HELIORNITIIIN.E. These three subfamilies, as far as we have become acquainted with them, contain 48 American species, belonging to 10 genera, namely:- Rallinee 5 genera: 35 species. Fulicince 4 genera: 12 species. Heliornithinee 1 genus: 1 species. There remain, however, two described species unknown to us, viz. Rallus maculosus (Vieill. N. D. xviii. p. 556, et Enc. Me'th. p. 1066) and Crex facialis (Tsch. F. P. p. 301). Subfam. I. RALLINEE. Conspectus generum Rallinarum. a. nares apertae, pervia**. a', nares lineares, angusta? 1. Ballus. b'. nares dilatatae, oblongo-lineares. a", rostrum longius quam caput 2. Aramides. b". rostrum brevius quam caput. a'", tarsus digito medio longior 3. Porzana. b'". tarsus d i gito medio brevior 4. Crex. b. nares antice membrana obtectae, impervias 5. Thyrorhina. Genus 1. RALLUS. _ Type. Rallus, Linn. S. N. i. p. 261 (1766) R. aquaticus. Pardirallus, Bp. C. R. xliii. p. 599 (1856) .... R. maculatus. Limnopardalis, Cab. J. f. O. 1856, p. 428 R. maculatus. Clavis specierum. a. albo variegatus 1- maculatus. b. non albo variegati. af. rostro incurvo. a", dorso variegato. m . f dorsi flammulis nigris 2. elegans. a . maj ores < ^ors^ flamniulis fuscis 3. longirostris. b"'. minores. a"'', subtus rufescens 4. virginianus. minor: lateribus distincte b"". subtus plumbei albo vittatis 5. antarcticus. major: lateribus obsolete vittatis 6. semiplumbcus. b". dorso unicolori 7. rythirhynchus. b'. rostro recto 8- nigricans. |