14,4: RAILS, GALLINULES, AND COOTS. 



The Spotted Crake (213. Porzana porzana) — an Old World representa- 

 tive of our Sora — is recorded as " occasional in Greenland." 



215. Porzana no veboracensis (6^ />?^/.). Yellow Rail. (See Fig. 

 22, b.) Ad. — Upper parts black, the feathers bordered with ochraceous-butf' 

 and with from one to three narrow white bars; breast ochraceous-buif; mid- 

 dle of the belly white ; sides and lower belly black or brownish, barred with 

 white. L., 700 ; W., 3-40 ; Tar., -95 ; B., 52. 



Range. — " Eastern North America from Nova Scotia and Hudson Bay 

 west to Utah and Nevada; no extralimital record except Cuba and the Ber- 

 mudas " (A. 0. U.). 



Washington, rare T. V., Mch. and Oct. Long Island, uncommon T. V. 

 Cambridge, rare T. V., Apl. and May ; Oct. and Nov. 



Nest^ on the ground in grassy marshes. Eggs.^ six or more, creamy buff, 

 densely sprinkled and speckled on larger end with rusty brown, 1-12 x -83 

 (Ridgw.). 



This little Rail inhabits marshes with others of its family. With 

 them it seems to know that it can escape its enemies much more easily 

 by hiding in the tangled grasses of its home than by taking wing, and 

 it flies only to avoid actual capture. It can be hunted successfully, 

 therefore, only with dogs. 



Nuttall describes its notes as "an abrupt and cackling cry, 'krek, 

 ^krek, 'krek, Icrek, 'kuk, 'k'kh,'' and compares them to the croaking of 

 the tree frog. 



216. Porzana jamaicensis {QmeL). Little Black Rail. Ad.— 

 Head, breast, and upper belly slate-color; lower belly, back, and wings 

 brownish black, barred or spotted with white ; nape dark reddish brown. 

 L., 5-00; W., 2-80; Tar., -SO; B., -60. 



Range. — " Temperate North America, north to Massachusetts, northern 

 Hlinois, and Oregon ; south to West Indies and in western South America to 

 Chili" (A. 0. U.). Probably breeds throughout its North America range. 



Washington, rare T. V., several in Sept. Long Island, rare T. V. 



Nest., of grasses, on the ground in marshes Eggs, ten, white, thinly sprin- 

 kled with reddish brown dots, more numerous at the larger end, 1*00 x -80 

 (Nelson, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, i, 1876, p. 43). 



This bird is about as difficult to observe as a field mouse. It is 

 said to prefer grassy meadows, where, like others of its family, it never 

 flies when it can escape by running or hiding. It is apparently not 

 common. The only description of its notes I know of is given by Mr. 

 March, of Jamaica, who, as quoted by Dr. Brewer, writes its call as 

 " chi-chi-cro-croo-croo, several times repeated in sharp, high-toned 

 notes, so as to be audible to a considerable distance." 



The Corn Crake (217. Crex cre.r). a bird of Europe and northern Asia, is 

 casual in Greenland, Bermudas, and eastern North America. It is about the 

 size of a Clapper Rail, but has a bill no larger than that of the Sora. The 



