C. H. Merriam — Birds of Connecticut. 119 



cauffht in his mouth. From what I saw of their habits, I am con- 



vinced that the only successful way of collecting these birds is to 



look for them with a dog. Without one they could never be forced 



from the ground. Yours sincerely, 



Geo. Bird Grinnell. 



225. Porzana Jamaicensis (Gmelin) Cassin. Black Rail. 



An extremely rare summer resident. But. three specimens of this 

 rare bird have as yet been obtained in New England. The second 

 Connecticut record is that given by Mr. H. A. Purdie, who writes : 

 " Of this species Mr. Clark, of Saybrook, Conn., writes me that a 

 neighbor of his, while mowing at that place, July 10th, 1876, swung 

 his scythe over a nest of ten eggs on which the bird was sitting, 

 unfortunately cutting off the bird's head and breaking all but four of 

 the eggs."* I have recently seen the eggs in question, in Mr. Clark's 

 collection. They agree precisely with Cones' description of the eggs 

 of this bird, "being creamy- white, sprinkled all over with fine dots 

 of rich, bright reddish-brown," and are totally unlike those of any 

 other species of Bail. The bird was not preserved, but there seems 

 to be no reasonable doubt of its identity. Mr. Purdie further state- 

 that he has "lately seen a skin of this species belonging to Mr. 

 Browne, of Framingham. The bird was picked up dead, in August, 

 1869, by a relative of his, on Clark's Island, Plymouth Harbor 

 [Mass.], and was forwarded to him as something entirely new to our 

 shores. This instance adds a new bird to the Fauna of Massachu- 

 setts."* The only other recorded instance of its capture in New 

 England is that given by Dr. Thos. M. Brewer: "Hazenville, Conn., 

 Batty." 



226. G-allinula galeata (Licht.) Bonaparte. Florida Gallinule. 



A rather common summer resident, as I am told by Mr. Grinnell, 

 who has taken a number of specimens about Milford, Conn. Mr. W. 

 W. Coe has also taken it near Portland, Conn. 



227. Porphyrio Martillica (Linne) Temminck. Purple Gallinule. 



A rare accidental visitor from the South. A specimen of this 

 species was killed near Middletown, Conn., about the year 1855, and 

 is now in the Museum of Wesleyan University. It has been taken 

 in Massachusetts, as recorded by G. P. Whitman : " A fine specimen 



* Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, No. vol. ii, 1, p. 22, January. 1877. 



