102 NESTS AND EGGS OF 



northward. In the reedy swamps of the Atlantic States great numbers 

 of this Rail are killed every year. It is a highly esteemed game bird, 

 and is usually abundant during the migrations. More common in the 

 Eastern Province of the United States, breeding chiefly northward. 

 Mr. Shields states that the Sora Rail is quite common in the swamps 

 about lyos Angeles, Cal., where he obtained six sets of its eggs in the 

 season of 1886 ; the largest set contained fourteen and smallest seven 

 eggs. In Ohio the Carolina Crake, Common Rail, Sora or Ortolan, as 

 it is variously called, is a common summer resident, breeding in the 

 extensive swamps and wet meadows throughout the State. The Caro- 

 lina Rails are equally abundant on both salt and fresh water marshes, 

 but the latter places are preferable to them as breeding grounds. The 

 nest is a rude affair made of grass and weeds, placed on the ground in 

 a tussock of grass in a boggy tract of land, where there is a growth of 

 briers, etc. 



The eggs of Sora are ovoidal in shape, tapering gradually to the 

 smaller end but not sharply pointed. They have a ground color of 

 dark cream or drab, darker than those of the Virginia Rail ; the spots 

 are reddish-brown with purple shell spots scattered over the surface, 

 but more numerous at the large end. Twenty eggs in my collection 

 have an average size of 1.26X.90. 



215. Porzana noveboracensis (Gmel.) [575-] 



Yellow Rail. 



Hab. Eastern North America from Nova Scotia and Hudson Bay west to Utah and Nevada. 



The small Yellow Crake appears to be quite rare everywhere in 

 Eastern North America or wherever found. It is known to breed in 

 Northern Illinois, where its eggs have been taken. Dr. Howard Jones 

 has frequently taken it in the vicinity of Circleville, Ohio, and considers 

 it nearly as common as other species, and believes it breeds there, which 

 is probably the case throughout the State. The Little Yellow Rail has 

 the same general traits common to others of this family, frequenting 

 marshy places, skulking and hiding in the wet grass to elude observa- 

 tion. The eggs are said to be about six in number, rich buflfy-brown, 

 marked at the larger end with a cluster of reddish-brown dots ; sizes 

 range from .80 to .85 broad by 1.05 to 1.12 long^ 



216. Porzana jamaicensis (Gmel.) [576.] 



Black Rail. 



Hab. Temperate North America, north to Massachusetts, Northern Illinois and Oregon; south to 

 West Indies and South America. 



Smallest of our North American Rails ; not often found in the 

 United States and one of the rarest of our birds. Its small size and 



