12 Birds of Kansas. 



Suborder RALLI. Rails, Gallinules, Coots, etc. 

 Family RALLIDiE. Rails, Gallinules, and Coots. 



Subfamily RALLINy^. Rails. 

 Genus RALLUS Linn^us. 



B. 542. R. 569. C. 676. G. 267. U. 208. 



62. Ralluselegans Aud. King Rail. Summer resident; common in eastern Kansas. 

 Arrive the tirst to middle of April. Begin laying about the middle of May. Nest on 

 the ground in marshy places at or near the edge of water, generally upon a hum- 

 mock in a thick, heavy growth of grass, or under a bush, made of coarse grasses, 

 weeds and rushes, quite bulky, and so woven together as to often form a partial 

 cover overhead. Eggs, six to twelve; 1.63x1.25; pale bluish to cream white, 

 sparingly specked and spotted with various shades of reddish brown, and shell 

 stains of purple and lilac, the spots thickest and often running together around 

 large end; in form oval. 



B. 554. R. 572. C. 677. G. 268. U. 212. 



63. Rallus virginianus Linn. Virginia Rail. Summer resident; rare; during 

 migration common. Arrive the middle of April to first of May. Begin laying 

 about the middle of May. Nest in thick growth of grass on low boggy grounds, 

 quite bulky, made of grass, weeds, etc. Eggs, six to ten; they are said to average 

 1.25X.95; measurement of a set collected May 21st, 1878, at Pewaukee, Wisconsin, 

 1.26X.90, 1.27X.90, 1.27x.90, 1.32x.90, 1.28x.91, 1.30x.92, 1.32x.92, 1.35x.92, 1.30x.93, 

 1.29X.95; cream white, thinly spotted with reddish brown, and faint markings of 

 lilac; thickest around large end; in form oval. 



Genus PORZANA Vieillot. 



Subgenus PORZANA. 



B. 555. R. 574. C. 679. G. 269. U. 214. 



64. Porzana Carolina (Linn.). Sora. Summer resident; rare; in migration 

 abundant. Arrive the middle of April to first of May. Begin laying about 

 the middle of May. Nest on marshy ground, at the border of ponds, and old 

 channels of streams, in elevated tussocks of grass, a shallow or platform nest 

 made loosely of grass, weeds and rushes. Eggs, six to ten; 1.20x.90; grayish to 

 olive drab, specked and spotted with purple and reddish brown; in form oblong 

 oval. 



Subgenus COTURNICOPS Bonaparte. 



B. 557. R. 575. C. 680. G. — . U. 215. 



65. Porzana noveboracensis (Gmel.). Yellow Rail. Summer resident; rare. 

 Prof. L. L. Dyche, Curator of Birds and Mammals, State University, writes me 

 that April 18, 1885, he captured one of the birds, ( a female,) on low wet land 



