RALLID.E THE RAILS, GALLINULES, AND COOTS. 93 



We have not at hand the required material for defining the 

 exact limits of the genus Porzana, so far as its American repre- 

 sentatives are concerned. Without, therefore, considering any 

 of the extralimital species, it may suffice to say that of the 

 three which occur in North America, one (P. Carolina,} is a very 

 near relative of the type of the genus (P. j><>/'.~<i/ia of Europe), 

 while the other two are perhaps sufficiently different to justify 

 generic separation. The three species which occur in eastern 

 North America may be distinguished as follows: 



A. Above russet-olive, with black blotches and irregular, partly longitudinal, streaks of 



white. (Porzana.) 



1. P. Carolina. Neck and breast without white specks ; throat blackish, and sides of 



head and neck plumbeous in adult; throat white, sides of head and neck, with 

 chest and bi'east, fulvous-olive, in young; flanks broadly barred with white and 

 slate-color. Wing, 4.15-4.30; culmen, .75-.90; tarsus, 1.25-1.35; middle toe, 1.30- 

 1.45. Hah. North and Middle America. 



B. Above ochraceous, with broad black stripes and narrow transverse white bars; sec- 



ondaries white, forming a conspicuous patch on the extended wing. (C'otn rut- 

 cops.) 



2. P. noveboracensis. Head, neck, and breast ochraceous; flanks dusky, barred with 



whitish; crissum cinnamon; lining of wing and axillars white. Wing, 3. 00-3. CO; 

 culmen, .50-.60; tarsus, .95-1. 00; middle toe, .90-1.00. Hab. North America. 



C. Above blackish brown, speckled with white. (Creciscns.) 



3. P. jamaicensis. Nape dusky chestnut or sepia-brown; lower parts slate-color or 



dark plumbeous (the throat sometimes whitish), the posterior portions narrowly 

 barred with white. Wing, 2.50-3.20; culmen, .50-. 60; tarsus, .75-.90; middle toe, 

 .85-. 95. flab. Temperate and tropical America. 



Porzana Carolina (Linn.) 



SORA. 



f 



Popular synonyms. Sora Rail; Carolina Rail; Common Rail; Ortolan (Potomac River). 



Rallns carolinus LINN. S. N. ed. 10, i, 1758, 153; ed. 12. i, 1766, 263,-Sw. & RICH. F. B.-A. 



ii, 1831,403. AUD. Orn. Biog. iii, 1S35, 251; v, 1839,572, pi. 233. 

 Rallus (Crex) carolinus BONAP. Obs. Wils. 1825, No. 230. NUTT. Man. ii, 1834, 209. 

 Ortygornetra Carolina BONAP. List, 1838, 53. AUD. Synop. 1839, 213; B. Am. v, 1842, 145, 



pi. 306. 

 Porzana Carolina CASS. in Baird's B. N. Am. 1858, 749. BATED, Cat. N. Am. B. No. 



555. COUES, Key, 1872, 273; Check List, 1873, No. 468; 2d ed. 1882, No. 679; Birds 



N. W. 1874, 538. RIDGW. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, No. 574; Man. N. Am. B., 1887, 139. 



A. O. U., Check List, 1886, No. 214. 



HAB. The whole of temperate North America, but most common in the Eastern Prov- 

 ince; West Indies in general; whole of Middle America, south to Colombia and Venezuela; 

 accidental in Greenland and Europe; Bermudas (numerous in migrations). Breeds chiefly 

 in the northern parts of its range. 



