324 BULLETIN 135, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



On February 3, 1904, while out partridge shooting, I saw my dog pointing in a 

 low, wet piece of open land with a dense growth of short, dead grass, and being 

 unal)le to flush anything myself, although I trampled the grass down in every 

 direction, I told her to take it. She at once caught a yellow rail, which was the 

 first one I had ever seen alive in South Carolina. I then made her hunt the 

 entire field, and in less than 10 minutes she caught two more. These three 

 yellow rails were caught near sunset. The next morning, February 4, I again 

 visited the field, in company with my dog, and in less than five minutes she had 

 caught another; while a second specimen was flushed and shot. On February 

 5 and 8, two more were taken, which make seven in all. On November 19, 1904, 

 my dog again captured another one alive. These rails would not flush, although 

 in every instance I tried my utmost to make them fly, and the only one that 

 did elude the dog by flying, was due to the dog's failure to seize it in a very 

 thick growth. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — United States and Canada north to latitude 60 degrees. 



Breeding range. — North to Mackenzie (FortResokition, Little Buf- 

 falo River, and Salt River); Manitoba (York Factory); Ontario 

 (Fort Severn); Quebec (Fort George); and Maine (Calais). East 

 to Maine (Calais). South to Ohio (Circleville) ; Illinois (Chicago 

 and Winnebago) ; Wisconsin (Jefferson County and Racine) ; North 

 Dakota (Devil's Lake and Esmond) ; and Saskatchewan (Fort Qu'- 

 Appelle). West to Saskatchewan (Fort Qu'Appelle); Alberta (Red 

 Deer) ; Mackenzie (Salt River, Little Buffalo River, and Fort Reso- 

 lution); and California (Mono County). 



Summer occurrences for this species, some of which may possibly 

 represent breeding birds, extend the range southeast to New Hamp- 

 shire (Hampton) ; Massachusetts (Salem, Boston, and Plymouth) ; 

 Rhode Island (Westerly) ; Connecticut (Now Haven and Milford) ; 

 and the District of Columbia. South to the District of Columbia; 

 Pennsylvania (Erie) ; Ohio (Hamilton) ; Indiana (Brookville, Bloom- 

 ington, and Vincennes) ; Missouri (St. Louis and Independence) ; 

 Kansas (Lawrence); and Colorado (Barr). 



Winter range. — North to California (probably Suisun Marshes) ; 

 Arizona (Sacaton) ; Louisiana (Belle Isle and New Orleans) ; Missis- 

 sippi (probably Ba^^ St. Louis and Biloxi); Alabama (Barachias and 

 Greensboro); Georgia (Darien); and South Carolina (Mount Pleas- 

 ant). Etist to South Carolina (Mount Pleasant); Georgia (Darien); 

 and Florida (upper wSt. Johns River and probably Cape Sable). South 

 to Florida (probably Cape Sable); Louisiana (Diamond and Belle 

 Isle); and California (Riverside County). West to California (west 

 central counties). 



Winter occurrences have also been noted from more northern 

 points: California (Humboldt Bay) ; Oregon (Scio); northern South 

 Carolina (Chester); North CaroUna (Weaverville, Newbern, and 



