RAILS, GALLINULES, AND COOTS 



209 



crossed by narrow white semi-circles, the tuintis. shozv- 

 in</ cuiisidcrablc -a'liitc in flight: sides of head and neck, 

 chin, throat, breast, and abdomen, yellowish-brown ; 

 under tail-coverts, plain brownish ; sides of body, with 

 some traverse spots of brown and white; lores and a 

 streak below eye extending on side of face, brown ; 

 bill, yellow: feet pale yellowish fle>h color: iris, brown- 

 ish-red. Downy YouNo: Black. 



Nest and Eggs.— Nest: On the .uruuiid in meadows: 

 cunslruLtod of dry grass. Kn.s: i) to lo. creamy-buff, 

 spotted with tine rusty-lirown. 



Distribution.— Chiefly eastern North America ; breeds 

 from southern Mackenzie, central Keewatin, and south- 

 ern Ungava south to Minnesota and Maine: winters 

 in the Gulf States, rarely in California. Illinois, and 

 North Carolina: casual in Nevada, Utah, and P.ernnida. 



The Yellow Kail is seen rather rarely in Massa- 

 chusetts. I ha\e met with it alive only once. It 

 probably is more coninion in migration than is 

 believed generally, as it is very small and its 

 habits are secretive. It is e\en more reluctant 

 than the other Rails to take wing ; hence it is seen 

 rarely, but is sometimes caught by do.gs and cats. 

 When forced to take wing it flies in the same 

 hesitating, fluttering manner as the other Rails, 

 but rather swifter and sometimes to a consider- 



:il)le distance. It can swim and di\e well in case 

 of necessity. 



Wayne states that in South Carolina he found 

 it nearly impossil)le to flush these birds with a 

 dog when their only cover was short dead grass. 

 1 lis dog caught nine and flushed but one. Fresh- 

 water snails were found in their stomachs. 



EDW.\Kn Howe P^)KBU.sit. in Gaiitc Birds, 

 WUd-Foid and Shore Birds. 



BLACK RAIL 

 Creciscus jamaicensis [Guiclin) 



.\. O, V. Number .■16 .See Color Pl.ite 2b 



Other Names.— Little Black Rail : Black Crake. 



General Description. — Length, 6 inches. Upper 

 parts, black harreil with white: head, throat, and chest, 

 slate color. Forehead entirely feathered down to base 

 of bill ; bill short and stout. 



Color. — .-Xdults: Forehead and crown, dusky: hind- 

 neck and fore-back, dark chestnut; rest of uf^tii-r parts. 

 i/i't-/' I'l-n'ii.'iii.^-h-hlack. finely barred with white; head, 

 neck, and breast, dark slate; abdomen and under tail- 

 coverts, deep blackish-brown, traversed with narrow 



:«-»'* 



Drawing by R. I. Brasher 



BLACK RAIL (J nat. size) 

 The smallest of the American Rails 



