"^isoo"'] PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 495 



country from Fiugerboard to Birtle, nesting ; very abundant ; breeding 

 in Duck Mountain, June, 1884 (Thompson). Stiell River: 1885, first 

 seen, two, on May 12; is common all summer and breeds here (Oal- 

 cutt). Severn House (Murray). 



June 28, 1882, at Rapid City Trail near Fingerboard, found the nest of a 

 Sora. It contained fourteen eggs, which were within a few days of 

 being hatched. The nest was placed in a bed of rushes, about 10 feet 

 from the water, and was built of dry stalks of reeds, etc. The eggs 

 were placed in two tiers, one on the other, as the nest was but 4 inches 

 across. The question naturally suggests itself, however, how does this 

 indefatigable little ovipositor contrive to warm the whole of this large 

 clutch under her own little bosom and wings ? 



Late in the autumn, just before migrating, this bird develops startling powers of 

 flight, though I am inclined to believe it does not rely entirely on its wings in its 

 travels to and from its winter quarters, for just about the time of departure it may 

 be found in most unlikely places; and it is jn.st possible that when so found it may 

 have been traveling southwards on foot. (Nash, in MSS.) 



63. Porzana noveboracensis. Yellow Rail. Water Sparrow. 



Summer resident. Winnipeg: Summer resident; tolerably common 

 (Hine). Fort George (Bell). Hudson's Bay (Hutchius). In a marsh 

 near Fort Pelly I saw a few that I took to be this species ; they would 

 fly and drop in the sedge ; did not collect any (Macoun). At Carberry 

 there is a small rail that is very common, but whether this or P.jamai- 

 censis I can not be sure (Thompson). 



On April 29, 1882, in the evening, while walking in the moonlight, 

 by the slough, with W. Brodie, we heard a peculiar "tap-tap-tap"-ing 

 that seemed to come from something in the near sedge. When we 

 described the sound afterwards, at the house, old residents said it must 

 have been a Stake-driver. 



(Since writing the above I have become quite familiar with the Stake- 

 driver, or bittern, and know now that the tapping was certainly not 

 produced by it. This peculiar sound is a characteristic one of Mani- 

 toban marshes, and, unless it is the sound ascribed by Hutchins to the 

 Yellow Rail, and described as resembling the striking of a flint and 

 steel, I am at a loss to account for it.) 



On August 3, 1883, a specimen of a little dark rail was brought to me. 

 I put it, along with two young Killdeer Plovers, into a pen, wherein 

 was already a Brahma hen with a large brood of young prairie chickens. 

 As soon as the hen descried the strangers she made a dash and cruelly 

 ill-treated one of the gentle killdeers before I could interfere; then she 

 saw the rail gliding through the grass and ran towards it with murder 

 in her eye and fight in every feather. But the rail ran to meet her. 

 Both flew up together— the diminutive rail and the vast Brahma hen. 

 The rail rose high enough to give the hen one peck on the head with 

 his beak, and immediately a change took place. The hen straightened 



