262 Natural History Bulletin. 



not even changed its position. It zuas a stake/ and the old 

 Indian's satisfaction was complete. 

 Breeds in Manitoba. (Thompson.) 



Order PALUDICOLtE. Cranes, Rails, etc. 

 Family gruid^e. Cranes. 



Grus AMERICANA (Linn.). Whoo-ping Crane. Abundant 

 around Grand Rapids during migration. The natives describe 

 the crane dance as a well known performance. 



Breeds within the Arctic Circle. (MacFarlane.) 



Grus canadensis Linn. L.ittle Brown Crane. Also 

 common during migrations, according to the natives. None 

 seen by us. 



Family rallidzE. Rails, Coots, etc. 



Rallus virginianus Linn. Virginia Rail. Common 

 around the sloughs of Chemawawin. Although several of 

 the specimens secured by us seem to be adult, none of them 

 agree in coloration with the normal adult, being irregularly 

 blotched and barred below with black, rufous and white, the 

 rufous predominating on the throat and forebreast. 



So far as I have been able to ascertain, this is the most 

 northerly point where R. virginiamis has been known to 

 be common. Found around the edges of a slough, where 

 the following species was abundant. 



Five specimens secured; 4 ,^, i ?. 



PoRZANA CAROLINA (Linn.). Sora. Abundant at Chema- 

 wawin. Like the previous species, all specimens secured 

 showed a very different coloration from that of the typical 

 adult. One only, and strangely enough, this was a young 

 bird, showed an approach to the black head and fore neck 

 and blue-gray breast of full plumaged birds. The remaining 

 specimens were clear olive- brown above, more profusely 

 streaked with white than is usual. Top of head olive-brown, 



