532 Annals of the Carnegie Museum. 



49. Rallus elegans. King Rail. 



A rare transient visitant, an occasional bird having been taken here. 

 Mr. James Thompson has a mounted specimen killed by him about 

 1898, late in the fall. He has never seen but the one, while Dr. 

 Warren's statement (^Birds of Pennsylvania, 1890, 68) that Mr. 

 Sennett has observed it in Erie County as a spring migrant is not 

 supported by specimens in Mr. Sennett's collection. Mr. Bacon 

 never met with the species until 1902, when he was so fortunate as to 

 secure three specimens (all shot on the mainland), one each on April 

 17, May 7, and September 13, respectively, the one taken on the latter 

 date being an immature bird. All are now in the Carnegie Museum. 



50. Rallus virginianus. Virginia Rail. 



Occasional as a summer resident, and during the migrations said to 

 be regular and tolerably common. However this may be, in 1900 we 

 recorded it only as a rare fall transient. What was probably the same 

 individual was flushed in Niagara Pond on September 28, October i, 

 and October 4. A specimen brought us September 29 constituted our 

 only other record. As to its nesting here there is no question, as Mr. 

 Bacon's notes attest : " On May 26, 1891, I found a nest containing 

 nine eggs in a swamp west of the city, and on June 2, 1892, I found 

 another nest in the same marsh, also containing nine eggs. April 18 

 (1900) is the earliest date upon which the species has been noted in 

 the spring, while recorded last dates are October 25 (1901) and 28 

 (1893)." 



51. Porzana Carolina. Sora Rail. 



The Sora Rail is mainly a transient, not uncommon in the spring, 

 and very abundant in the fall, outnumbering the Virginia Rail ten to 

 one, and like that species occasionally remaining through the breeding 

 season. Two nests have been found by Mr. Bacon, one June 4, 1890, 

 in a bunch of cat-tails at the " Head," containing eleven eggs, the 

 other May 25, 1892, in the same marsh where the Virginia Rail was 

 found breeding, likewise with eleven eggs. March 31, 1902, is the 

 earliest record of the arrival of this species ; this, however, is very 

 exceptional indeed, the usual date ranging from April 27 (1895) to 

 May 5 (1892). In the spring of 1900 it was observed by us on but 

 five occasions, a single individual having been met with in each case. 

 The first was on May 10, when a bird, was killed at the mouth of Mill 

 Creek, while the other occurrences were all on Niagara and Yellow 



