SOB A BAIL 297 



Makks for field IDENTIFICATION' — Moderately small size (less than that of 

 Killdeer), of usual rail aspect and habits; short, chicken-like greenish yellow 

 bill (fig. 51), black throat, and slaty tone of under surface. Distinguished 

 from Virginia Eail by somewhat smaller size, and much shorter bill (compare 

 fig. 50). Both the Yellow and Black rails are much smaller. 



Voice — A clear whistled ker-ivee, now and then interrupted by a high- 

 pitched rolling whinny which, like a call of alarm, is taken up and repeated 

 by different birds all over the marsh (Chapman, 1912, p. 234). 



Nest — Made of dry grass, weeds, or rushes, placed on wet ground, or often 

 supported upon vegetation above water, and usually well concealed in growing 

 vegetation. 



Eggs — 4 to 15, ovate in shape, measuring in inches, 1.14 to 1.29 by 0.86 to 

 0.92 (in millimeters, 29.0 to 32.7 by 21.9 to- 23.3), and averaging 1.24 by 0.89 

 (30.6 by 22.5); ground color buffy drab marked scatteringly with spots of 

 reddish brown and dull purplish gray (two sets, twenty-four eggs, from 

 California and Nevada). 



General distribution — North America. Breeds from central British 

 Columbia, southern Mackenzie, central Keewatin, and Gulf of St. Lawrence 

 south to southern California, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Illinois, and Pennsylvania; 

 winters from northern California, Illinois and South Carolina through the West 

 Indies and Central America to Venezuela and Peru (A. O. U. Check-list, 1910, 

 p. 104). 



Distribution in California — Common in summer in appropriate localities 

 throughout the state; southernmost breeding station, Escondido, San Diego 

 County (Sharp, 1907, p. 86). Fairly common in winter in interior valleys west 

 of the Sierras, north at least to Butte County; northernmost winter record, 

 mouth of Mad Eiver, Humboldt County (C. H. Townsend, 1887, p. 197). Once 

 reported from Farallon Islands (Keeler, 1892, p. 164). 



Throughout California the Sora is one of the commonest of the 

 rails. It is most abundant in fresh-water marshes but it also occurs at 

 times on the salt marshes. In summer it is apparently more abundant 

 and widespread than in winter, and this fact has given rise to the belief 

 that most of the birds of this species move southward out of the state 

 during the winter months. During the spring and fall migrations 

 Soras appear in many isolated localities where they are not known 

 to breed and this but strengthens the idea that they pass out of the 

 state for the winter. The species is common in Mexico and Central 

 America during the winter months and at the same season is found in 

 small numbers as far north as the Sacramento Valley and Humboldt 

 County, California. Belding (MS) found it at Stockton as late as 

 October, 1880, and said that it wintered in fair numbers on suitable 

 ground near San Diego. Winter specimens are in the Museum of 

 Vertebrate Zoology from the following localities : Los Baiios, Merced 

 County ; Modesto, Stanislaus County ; Martinez, Contra Costa County ; 

 and the Suisun Marshes, Solano County. 



This rail is hardly as large as a robin and this fact alone will serve 

 to distinguish it from either of our Clapper Rails. The short, chicken- 



