THE 



BOOK 



Rich buff. 



215. Yellow Rail. 

 Coturnicops novehoracensis. 



Ranrge.— Locally distributed in temperate North 

 America, from New England and Nova Scotia, to 

 California and British Columbia; south to the 

 Gulf States in winter. 



This is a very handsome species, with plumage 

 of glossy brown, yellowish buff, black and white; 

 length seven inches. They are very shy and se- 

 cretive, and are probably 

 more common than gener- 

 ally supposed. Their nest- , ■ ^^ ,. 

 ing habits are the same 

 as those of the preceding. 

 Their eggs are of a rich 

 buff color, speckled in the 

 form of a wreath about 

 the large end, with red- 

 dish brown. They are 

 relatively narrower than 

 those of other Rails. Size 



1.10 X .80. Data. — Benson Co., North Dakota, June 

 4, 1901. Set of ten eggs collected by Rev. P. B. 

 Peabody. This set is in the collection of Mr. 

 John Lewis Childs. 



216. Black Rail. Creciscus jamaicensis. 



Range. — Temperate North America, breeding 

 from northern IFnited States southward. 



Smallest of the rails; 5 inches in length. A 

 dark slaty colored bird with 

 -. . white specks, and a patch of 



f. ■ . ,- dark chestnut on the fore 

 back. This diminutive spe- 

 scies is very hard to find be- 

 fA : -^-...iJaiBr cause of its retiring habits, 

 but according to Mr. Brews- 

 ter it may be located by the 

 clicking sound of its song. 

 Their nests are woven of strips of rushes or grasses, and are well "cupped" 

 to receive the eggs. They are on the ground on the border of, or in, marshy 

 places. Mr. Childs has a fine set of eight eggs, taken by Arthur T. Wyane, at 

 Mt. Pleasant, S. C, June 10, 1903. The nest was located in an oat field. The 

 eggs have a creamy white ground, and are specked all over with reddish brown. 

 Size 1.03 X. 75. 



[216.1.] Farallon Rail. Creciscus coturniculus. 



Known only from a single specimen, which is slightly smaller than jamai- 

 censis and without the white specks on the back. 



t^^^Sr 



jWllfcwt,., 



Yellow Rail. 

 Black Rail 



imi 



134 



