15LACK RAIL. 121 



(lark brown; flanks, lutous with many wliite bars; lining of the wing, white; 

 a brownisii-yellow streak over the eye. Length, a])ont 6 inches ; wing, 3i ; tail, 

 U;bill, i. ' 



Hab. — Eastern Xorth Anieiica, from Nova .Scotia and Hudson's Bay west to 

 Utah and Nevada. No extra-limital record except Culja and tiie Bermudas. 



Nest, like that of the other rails. 



Eggs, six to eight, dark l)utl" color, marked ^^•itll rtildish spots at the greater 

 end. 



We know little of this bird, partly because it ])el()ngs to a class 

 much given to keeping out of sight, but chiefly because it is a rare 

 species everywhere. During the present year, I saw a fine mounted 

 specimen in the store of Mr. Cross, taxidermist, Toronto. It was 

 obtained in the marsh near that cit}^, and I have heard of another 

 which a few yeai-s ago was shot near the same place, and is now in 

 the public nuiseum at Ottawa. The greater number of specimens of 

 the Yellow Rail now in existence have been found in New England, 

 but that may be owing to the greater numljer of collectors there. It 

 would be well for our Canadian sportsmen to look out for the species 

 when visiting its haunts, because from its general resemljlance to the 

 Sora, it may readily be overlooked. 



One observer reports it as a tolerably common summer resident 

 near Winnipeg, and it has also been noticed at Fort George by 

 Dr. Bell. It has, therefore, a wide distributipn, but is nowhere 

 abundant. 



Subgenus CRECISCUkS Cabonis. 

 PORZANA JAMAICENSIS (Gmel.). 



84. Black Rail. (210) 



Upper ])arts, blackisli, finely speckled and bari-ed with white; the hin<l neck 

 and fore neck, dark chestnut ; head and under parts, dark slate color, paler or 

 whitening on the throat ; the lower belly, flanks and under wing and tail covert 

 barred with white ; quills and tail feathers with white spots, very small. 

 Length, about o.oO; wing, 2.75-3.00; tail, L35; tarsus, 0.75. 



Hab. — South and Central America and West Indies. 



Nest, in a deep cup-shaped depression resembling that of the Meadow Lark, 

 only deeper in proportion to its width; the outer portion composed of grass- 

 stems and blades, the inner portion of soft l)lades of grass arranged in a circular 

 manner and loosely interwoven. 



Eggs, ten, clear white, thinly .sprinkled with reddish-brown dots which 

 become more numerous toward the greater end. 



This is one of the rarest of American birds, or, rather, it is one of 

 those least frequently found. From its small size and the fact that 



