242 STATE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE BULLETINS. 



92-212-{677 ). Rallns virgiiiiaiius Lmn. ^Virginia Rail. 



Ve y common ; Southern Michigan ; May to September ; " abundant in South- 

 western Michigan" (Prof. J. W. Simmons); "very common summer resident at St. 

 Joseph, but rare at Albion" (O.B.Warren); "abundant about marshes in Monroe 

 County, near Lake Erie " (Jerome Trombley); S. E. White reports it a very rare sum- 

 mer resident at Mackinac Island ; " breeds near St. Clair " (B. H. Swales); " this bird 

 and the next species are quite common in the marshes along small creeks and streams, 

 at Port Sanilac " (W. A. Oldfield); nests on stems of flags, etc.. on the ground ; eggs, 

 six to twelve, usually seven or eight, creamy white, spotted with small spots of reddish 

 brown. I have found these common here and very common at Saginaw Bay. Mr. L. 

 W. Watkins tells me that they nest very abundantly at Traverse City. This is hunted 

 as a game bird, but is rather inferior for table use ; " these birds never commence to 

 sit till a full complement of eggs is laid '" (J. B. Purdy). 



Genus POKZANA Vieill. 



Carolina Rail, reduced. 



93-214:-((»79). Porzana Carolina {Linn.). *Sora ; Carolina Rail; Crake; 

 Ortolan. 



Very common ; Southern Michigan ; May to October ; " abundant in Southern Mich- 

 igan" (J.W.Simmons); "Looking Glass River near DeWitt " (Dr. G. W. Topping); 

 breeds; "not uncommon on Portage Lake, Keweenaw Point " (Kneeland); "incuba- 

 tion and laying conterminous, so that hatching continues for days " (B. H. Swales); 

 "common summer resident at Mackinac Island" (S. E. White); "nests abundantly at 

 Plymouth, Wayne County" (James B. Purdy); "breeds abundantly in Saginaw 

 marshes" (N. A, Eddy); Mr. Jerome Trombley finds it breeding in Monroe County ; I 

 have taken the eggs abundantly at Saginaw ; nests in June, on ground, in bog or 

 meadow ; eggs, five to fourteen, very rarely to twenty, drab, with yellowish tint, darker 

 and with larger spots than those of the Virginia Rail ; often in flocks ; excellent game 

 bird, though not good shooting, as they are slow to take wing ; " I have taken twenty 

 eggs from one nest. The bird commences to sit as soon as the first egg is laid, so the 

 eggs are at all stages of incubation " (J. B. Purdy). 



94-215-((>80). Porzana iiovel)oraoensis {Gmel.). Yellow Rail; Yellow Crake. 



Rare; "probably breeds" (Gibbs' Birds of Michigan); reported in Michigan (Forest 

 and Stream, Vol. XXV, p. 347); see Butler's Birds of Indiana; "summer resident" 

 (Dr. J. B. Steere). 



