RALLID^ — BALLING : RA ILS. 



673 



and ^rissouri at least. Winters in the South. Inhabits preferably swamps and marshes 

 above tide-water. Nesting the same as erepitam; eggs not distinguishable. 

 R. virf^iiiia'nus. VIRGINIA Rail. Coloration exactly as in elegans, of which it is a perfect 

 miuiaturo. Length 8.50-10.50; extent about 14.00; wing 4.00, always under 4.50; tail 

 1.50; bill 1.35-1.65; tarsus 1.25-1.50; middle toe and claw 1.50-1.75. Temperate N. Am., 

 chiefly eastern U. S., migratory, abundant, both in fresh and salt marshes. Breeds commonly 

 in New England ; winters in the S. States and beyond. Although a regular migrant alou«; 

 the Atlantic coast, it never occurs in such immense numbers as the Carolina Rail. Eggs like 

 thi)se of the foregoing in color, but much smaller, about 1.25 X 0.95. They agree in size nearly 

 with tliose of Porzana Carolina, but the latter are greenish or drab, not huffy. 

 PORZA'NA. (Ital. porzana, Venetian name of P. maruetta.) Crakes. Bill shorter or 

 not longer than head, stout, high and compressed at base, tapering, obtuse ; nasal fossae ample. 

 Nostrils linear-oblong, near middle of bill. Otherwise generally as in Ralltis ; hind toe longer. 

 Tarsus moderately shorter than middle toe and claw. Plumage of upper parts spotty as well 

 as streaky. Small. Sexes alike. The 3 N. Am. species are very different (subgencrically), 

 but Carolina closely resembles maruetta of Europe. 



Atialysis of Species. 

 Small: length 8.00 or more. Face of adult blackish, the breast slate-gray. 



Bill orange, with red base. Breast spotted. (European.) maruetta 678 



Bill not orange, without red base. Breast not spotted Carolina 679 



Smaller: length about 6.00; wing over 3.00; yellowish-brown, barred with white . . iioveboracensis 680 

 Smallest: length about 5.50; wing scarcely 3.00; blackish, speckled with white and chestnut 



jamaicensis 681 



P. maruet'ta. (Fr. marouette, name of this species.) European Spotted Crake. ^ 9 , 

 adult: Above, dark red- 

 dish-brown shaded with 

 olive; hind neck fine- 

 ly dotted, other upper 

 parts spotted and short- 

 ly striped with vphite, 

 and marked with black- 

 ish. Below, slate-gray, 

 fading to whitish on 

 belly, the breast spot- 

 ted mth white, the 

 flanks barred with 

 white, the crissum buff. 

 Top and front of Iiead, 

 and upper throat black- 

 ish, the cro^vn streaked 

 with this color and dark 

 brown. Quills and tail 

 dark ulive-brown. Iris 

 reddish - brown ; bill 

 orange, red at base ; 

 legs yellowish-green, 



livid on the joints. Length about 8.50; wing 4.75 ; tail 2.00; bill 0.85 ; tarsus 1.45; middle 

 toe and claw 1.75. Young lack the black face; chin whitish. Europe. Only N. Am. as 

 occurrhig in Greenland. 



P. caroli'na. (Fig. 400.) Carolina Cuake. Common Rail. Sora. '^ Ortolan." Above, 

 olive-brown, varied with black, with numerous sharp white streaks and specks; flanks, axillars 



Fig. 466. - Carolina Rail. (From Lewis.) 



