CATALOGUE OF CANADIAN BIRDS. I5I 



LXXXII. PORZANA ViEiLLOT. iSi6. 

 213. Spotted Crake. 



Porzana poizana (Li.\N.) Boucard. 1876. 



One specimen of this species is said to have been shot at Fredericks- 

 haab, Greenland, some years ago. (Hagenip.) One obtained at 

 Godthaab, September 28th, 1841; a second taken at Nenortalik 

 was sent to Copenhagen in 1856. {Arcf. Man.) Taken again in 



1878. {Wingc.) 



2U. Carolina Rail. Sora. 



Porzana Carolina (Linn.) Baird. 1845. 



Casual in Greenland. One killed at Sukkertop, October 3rd, 

 1823. (Arct. Man.) Several taken in recent years in Greenland. 

 (I'Vinge.) A summer migrant in Newfoundland, rare in Nova 

 Scotia, breeding in Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec 

 and Ontario, apparently increasing in numbers to the west. Strag- 

 glers are found on Hudson bay and Spreadborough found them 

 breeding at Moose Factory, James bay, June 9th, 1896, and a nest 

 with ten fresh eggs on the west coast of the bay, July loth, 1904. 

 It no doubt breeds throughout the whole wooded region west of 

 Hudson bay. 



This is a common species, breeding from Manitoba westward 

 through the prairie region. Rocky mountains at Banff, and north 

 to lat. 55°; British Columbia, from Kamloops to the Pacific coast. 

 Sir John Richardson places its northern limit at lat. 62°, and Ber- 

 nard Ross places it on the Mackenzie river at Big island in nearly 

 the same latitude. Spreadborough found it to be common in all 

 the marshes between Lesser Slave lake and Peace River Landing, 

 Atha. This species is unknown in Alaska. 



Breeui.ng Notes. — This species, like the Virginia rail, breeds 

 in all marshes of sufficient size throughout western Ontario. {W. 

 Saunders.) Nesting in clumps of rushes and grass growing in water. 

 Nest rather compact, consisting of grass placed from six inches to 

 one foot above the water. Young leave the nest as soon as hatched. 

 A nest was taken at Deep lake, Indian Head, Sask., on June 29th, 

 1892, which contained three eggs and one young one just hatched, 



