60 Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis. 



215. PoRZANA NOVEBORACENSis (Gmel.)- Yellow Rail. 



Rallus noveboracensis. Ortygometra noveboracensis. 



Geog. Dist. — North America to Hudson Bay, chiefly eastern; 

 in the West to Utah, Nevada and Cahfornia. Nowhere common. 

 No extrahmital records except Cuba and Bermuda. Breeds 

 from Connecticut, northern Indiana and Wisconsin northward, 

 and winters in the southern States, often met with on rice fields 

 in Louisiana. 



In Missouri an apparently rare or irregular transient visitant 

 chiefly in April. Earliest date of capture, March 27, 1876, 

 Hurter collection. Records are chiefly from the Mississippi 

 bottom north of St. Louis, but there is a specimen in Mr. Chas. 

 W. Tindall's collection taken near his home, Independence, and 

 one in the collection of Dr. G. C. Rinker at Unionville. Mr. E. 

 S. Currier regards them as irregular transients at Keokuk, where 

 Mr. W. E. Praeger found them common April 22, 1888, and April 

 21, 1889, at Sand Ridge, Clark Co., Mo. In the late and cold 

 spring of 1897 Mr. 0. Poling found it numerous in May near 

 Quincy. Mr. Chas. K. Worthen thinks that they sometimes breed 

 near Warsaw, 111., as he has found it occasionally during the 

 breeding season. There is no record for fall migration, but this 

 is not surprising when we consider how diflScult it is to flush 

 them or make them fly any distance since they alwaj^s prefer 

 to escape by running and skulking. 



216. PoRZANA JAMAiCENSis (Gmel.). Black Rail. 



Rallus jamaicensis. Little Black Rail. 



Geog. Dist. — From the West Indies and Chile to New England 

 and Oregon. Seems to breed locally throughout its range, but 

 easily overlooked on account of its small size and secretive habits. 

 Nowhere common. Winters in Central America. 



Taken only once in Missouri (St. Charles Co.), but probably of 

 frequent occurrence in spring and fall, possibly a summer resident, 

 since nests have been found in Illinois and Kansas (nest with 8 

 eggs near Manhattan, June 1880; nest with 10 eggs, June 19, 

 1875, Calumet River, Illinois). The earliest date for the vicinity 

 of our state is March 18, 1886, Neosho Falls, Kan., and the latest 

 in fall, October 11, 1885, Iowa City, la. Since the above was 

 written I am informed by Dr. G. C. Rinker of Hamilton, Kan., 

 that he took a Black Rail at Unionville, Putnam Co, Mo., and has 

 it in his collection. 



