WATER BIRDS. 



159 



82. Yellow Rail. Coturnicops noveboracensis (Gmel.). (215) 



Synonyms: Little Yellow Rail, Yellow Crake. — Fulica noveboracensis, Gmel., 1789. — 

 Ortygometra noveboracensis, Steph., 1824. — Rallus noveboracensis, Bonap., Aud., Nutt. 

 — Porzana noveboracensis, Cassin, 1858, and most subsequent writers. 



Figure 43. 



The small size, general yellowness, and sharp white cross-bars on the 

 feathers of the back are distinguishing marks. 



Distribution. — Chiefly eastern North America, north to Nova Scotia, 

 Hudson Bay, etc., less commonly west to Nevada and California. No 

 extra limital records except for Cuba and Bermuda. 



Fig. 43. Yellow Rail. 

 From Bird Lore. (Courtesy of Frank M. Chapman.) 



This little rail is one of the rarest of the family in Michigan and specimens 

 are far from common in our museums. Mr. A. B. Covert states that nine 

 specimens were shot at Ann Arbor, Sept. 13, 1877 by one hunter, a single 

 specimen now preserved in the University Museum being the only one 

 saved. One or two were taken in muskrat traps at Vicksburg, Michigan, 

 by D. Corwin of that place; one was taken near Kalamazoo City, October 

 19, 1890, and is now in the University of Michigan collection at Ann Arbor 

 (Gibbs, Oologist, Nov. 1890) ; another specimen was picked up mutilated 

 and too much decomposed for preservation, in the center of Kalamazoo 

 City, about the middle of September, 1900. This specimen was doubtless 

 killed by flying against the telephone wires (Dr. M. Gibbs, The Bittern, 

 Grand Rapids, 1901, p. 4). Dr. Gibbs also records another specimen 

 taken in autumn (date not specified) near Kalamazoo, by Wm. O'Byrne 



