Imus. GALLINULES, AND eoo'rs. 139 
     
    
   
   
    
     and A. Wynn/ms of Central A111eriea, )Iexieo, the “'est lndies. and 
     
     Florida. They frequent the borders of wooded streams and swamps, 
     
     and at times the uplands. 'l'heit' flight is short. and when on the wing 
     
     their legs dangle helow thent. Like the llerons. they perch in trees. 
     
     'l‘heir prolonged, nielaueholy call has won for lhent tlte name " Crying— 
     
     hird.” Their usual note is a loud.1'ather high trait-ree—uu'; the last 
     
     syllable is drawn out into a wail, aitd the etTeet is most grewsome. 
     
     (‘ourlaus feed to a large extent on land shells (Alarm/aria), and, as 
     
     Prof. \V. B. Barrows has shown. the tip of the Courlan's bill is sonic— 
     
     times tttrned slightly to one side. an evident. result of forcing 1|. into 
     
     the spiral opening of the shell to extract the animal. 
     
    

    
     207. Aramus giganteus (Bonn/U. Lint-KIN: (Jayme—111111);('ot‘iz— 
     
     I..\N. tSee Fig. L‘tJ .lrl. 7(ilossy olive-brown. the teathers ot' the head and 
     
     neck narrowly. those of tlte hotly broadly, striped with white: wings and tail 
     
     more, hronzy. 1/11., Similar. but paler and duller. L., 2W)“; \\'.. 13'00; T1112, 
     
     4-511; 11., 4'25. 
     
    

    
     IA)((//_’/(’."(VL‘ll‘l'Hl Anteriea and West Indies north to Rio (lrande Valley 
     
     and Florida. 
     
    

    
     dbl. ot' leaves. twigs. ete.. in a hush or small tree. [ff/ye. tour to seven. 
     
     pale httti'y white. hlotehed. stained. and speekled with light einnannut1—hi'own, 
     
     2‘30 >< l‘TU. 
     
    

    
     This is a locally distributed speeies in Florida. lts general habits 
     
     are t'leserihed in the remarks on the family Arumz'dte. 
     
    
   
   
    
     FAMILY RALLIDSFJ. RAILS, GALLINL‘LES, imp 0001‘s. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The one hundred and eighty speeies contained in this family are 
     
     distributed throughout the greater part of the world. fifteen species 
     
     inhabiting North America. Rails and Galliuules are not strictly gre— 
     
     garious. hut are generally associated through a. community of inter- 
     
     ests: (Riots. however. are usually found in flocks. Rails inhabit grassy 
     
     marshes. in which they seek safety liy running or hiding. taking to 
     
     wing when pursued only as a last resort. Their flight is then short, 
     
     and lahored. and with dangling legs they soon drop back into cover. 
     
     Nevertheless. they perform extended nugrations. traveling hundreds of 
     
     miles without resting. Gallinules lire neartlte marshy hordersof hodies 
     
     of water, while the more aquatic Coots resemble some Ducks in habits. 
     
    

    
     IU'IY T0 Tlll‘I Sl'lil‘ll‘is. 
     
     1. Bill over 1'73. 
     
     .11. t'heeks lielow the eye eilllluttlnlivl‘llilills‘. like the l-reast; tlanks Maek 
     
     harred with white: upper parts I‘ieh oli\'e~l>ro\\'11 streaked with lilaek. 
     
     1208. Rise RAIL. 
     
     11’. (‘heek helmr the, eye gray; flanks generally gray or hrownish, barred 
     
    

    
     \-. it]: u hite: upper parts generally grayish, streaked with black. 
     
    

    
     211. (‘1..111111211 RA”. and raees.