?POIIZANA JAMAICENSIS— GALLINULA GALKATA. 018 



List of specimens. 



1019, nest and e^tgs (6); near Salt Lake City, May 22, 1809. Nest in tbe coarse 

 grass and sedges of a pond, near Warm Spring Lake. 



1450, <? ad; Parley's Park, Wahsatch Mountains, July 20, 18G9. 9— 13J. Bill 

 yellow, the u[)i)er mandible chiefly greenish-olive; iris, brown ; tarsi and toes, olive, 

 deepening into yellow on tbe scntella". 



( POKZANA JAMAICENSIS. 



Litlic BI:ick Kail. 



RaUiis jmnaicemis, Gmelin, Syst. Nat., I, 17S8, 718. 



Porzana jamaicensis, Cassin, in Baird's Birds N. Am., 18.58, 749. — Baird, Cat. 



N. Am. Birds, 1859, 550.— CouKS, Key, 1872, 274; Check List, 1873, No. 470; 



Birds N.W., 1874, 540. 



On several occasions, and at widel3'-(Ustant localities, we met with a 

 small Rail of a black color, which must have been this si)ecies, nnless it 

 should prove to be one at present undescribed. It was first seen on the 

 r)th of September, 18(38, in Ruby Valley. We happened to be ridino- 

 horseback through a wet meadow, when the bird sprang up before us, but 

 suddenly dropped into the grass at the edge of a dense willow thicket. Wo 

 dismounted and attempted to flush it, but without success, for it had evi- 

 dently escaped into the densest portion of the thicket where it could not 

 be found. This bird appeared to he of about the size of Porzana cafolbia, 

 though it may have been smaller, and was of a uniform blackish color, with 

 white along the hinder edge of the wing, showing conspicuously as it flew. 

 The same species was again met with in Parley's Park, in June, July, and 

 August, where several were killed, but all lost in tlie tall grass and sedges 

 among which they fell. We are well aware that the above description does 

 not correspond with Porzana jamairois'is, but it could have been no otlier 

 species at present known. 



GaLLINULA GALBxVTA 

 4nicricnii Oalliiiiilo. 



Crcx gakata, Lichtenstein, Verz. Donbl., 182.3, 80, No. 820. 



GalUmila galeafa, BoNAi'., Am. Orn., IV, 1832, 128. — Cassin, in Baird's Birds N. 

 Am., 1858, 752.— Baird, Cat. N. Am. P.irds, 1859, No. 500.— Coues, Key, 

 1872, 275: Check List, 1873, No. 472; Birds N.W., 1874, 540. 



'Hie "lu'd-billed Mud-licn'' was a very ahundant species in tlie fuk 



