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)