Yellow-breasted Rail, Rallus Noveboracensis, Richards. and Swains. Fauna Bor.-Amer. vol. ii. p. 402.
Yellow-breasted Rail, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 402.
Adult Male. Plate CCCXXIX.
Bill shorter than the head, rather stout, compressed, tapering. Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight, being slightly convex towards the end, the ridge narrow and convex in its whole length, the sides convex towards the end, the edges sharp, slightly overlapping, destitute of notch. Nasal groove broad, and extending to a little beyond the middle of the bill; nostrils linear, lateral, submedial, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle long and narrow, the sides erect, the dorsal line sloping upwards, the edges a little inflected, the tip narrowed, the gape-line straight.
Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck shortish. Body compact, deeper than broad. Feet of moderate length, rather stout; tibia bare a short way above the joint; tarsus of ordinary length, compressed, anteriorly covered with broad scutella, posteriorly with smaller, and on the sides reticulated. Hind toe small and very slender; middle toe longest, and longer than the tarsus; inner toe considerably shorter than the outer; toes free, with numerous scutella above. Claws much compressed, slightly arched, tapering to a fine point, flat and marginate beneath.
Plumage rather stiff, but soft, blended, and slightly glossed above. Feathers of the forehead somewhat bristly, broad and rounded; of the hind parts elongated. Wings short, broad, concave; alula large, primaries curved, broad, abruptly rounded, the second longest, third scarcely shorter, first equal to seventh; secondaries broad and rounded, the inner elongated, some of them extending a quarter of an inch beyond the longest primary. Tail extremely short, much rounded, of ten feeble rounded feathers; the upper and lower tail-coverts as long as the tail-feathers.
Bill greenish-black, with the base dull yellowish-orange. Iris hazel. Feet and claws light flesh-colour. Upper part of the head and hind neck blackish-brown, the feathers slightly edged with dull light brownish-red, those on the occiput and hind neck with a small white spot on the outer edge. The upper parts are brownish-black, longitudinally streaked with brownish-yellow, each feather being broadly margined with the latter, and crossed with from one to three narrow white bars. Alula greyish-brown, each feather with a white dot near the tip; primaries similar, the outer four unspotted; the edge of the wing, and the basal half of the outer web of the first primary yellowish-white; outer secondaries greyish-brown, white towards the end, three of them having that colour extending over more than half of their length; inner secondaries like the back; as are the tail-feathers. Loral space and a line beyond the eye blackish-brown. Sides of the head, neck, and anterior part of the body light brownish-red, each feather terminally margined with deep brown; sides like the back; axillaries, lower wing-coverts, and middle of the abdomen, pure white; sides of the rump like the back; lower tail-coverts brownish-red, with faint whitish dots.
Length to end of tail 7 3/4 inches, to end of claws 9 3/4, to end of wings 7; extent of wings 12 1/4; wing from flexure 3 9/12; tail 1 4/12; tarsus 11/12; first toe and claw 5/12; second toe 10/12, its claw 3/12; third toe 1 1/12, its claw 3 1/2/12; fourth toe 10 1/2/12, its claw 2 1/2/12. Weight 2 3/4 oz.
The Female is smaller than the male, but similar in colour.
Length to end of tail 6 3/4 inches, to end of claws 8 3/4; extent of wings 11. Weight 2 oz.