NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 123 



of Louisiana. I know nothing reliable concerning its nesting or eggs, but they are 

 said to be similar to R. crepitans, which in all probability are identical. 



211. 1. FLOBIDA CLAPPER RAIL. Rallus scottii (Senn.) Geog. Dist. 

 Salt marshes of Western Florida. 



The Florida Clapper Rail differs from crepitans proper in being black, fucous, or 

 olive-brown above, with olive-gray margins to the feathers; in having tne neck and 

 breast cinnamon-rufus washed with brownish, and in having the belly and flanks 

 black instead of gray. In fact, the general color of scottii suggests a King Rail, but the 

 latter may always be known by its rufous wing coverets and clear cinnamon rufus 

 neck and breast. Chapman. 



211.2. CARIBEAN CLAPPER RAIL. Rallus lonffirostris canteens Ridgw. 

 Geog. Dist. West Indies and Gulf of Mexico; north to Texas (Corpus Chri?ti and 

 Galveston). 



A subspecies inhabiting the West Indies, its colors being similar to R. crepitans. 

 Its nidification is more than likely similar or identical to that species. 



212. VIRGINIA RAIL. Rallus virffinlanus Linn. Geog. Dist. North Ameri- 

 ca, from the British Provinces south to Guatemala and Cuba. 



The Virginia Rail is an exact miniature of R. elegans, the coloration being ex- 

 actly the same; the legs, iris and bill brown the latter reddish orange at the base 

 of the lower mandible. In summer it is distributed from Canada to Florida; fre- 

 quenting marshes and boggy swamps. The nest is built in a tuft of reeds or grasses 

 close to the water; it is compact and slightly hollowed. The eggs are cream or buff, 

 sparsely spotted with reddish-brown and obscure lilac; they are like those of the 

 King or Clapper Rail, but of course, like the bird, much smaller; sizes range from 

 1.20 to 1.28 long by .90 to .93 broad. The number in a set varies from six to twelve. 

 The Virginia Rail and the Sora have habits that are very similar; when on the wing 

 they will fly in a straight line for a short distance with dangling legs, and suddenly 

 drop into the grass. The Virginia Rail is almost exclusively a fresh water bird. 



[213.] SPOTTED CRAKE. Porzana porzana (Linn.) Geog. Dist. Europe; oc- 

 casional occurrence in Greenland. 



The European Spotted Crake is found in most parts of Europe, Asia and Africa. 

 Common in Italy, Sicily and in the Southern portions of Russia. Hagerup mentions 

 this species as a "rare visitor in South Greenland." Breeds abundantly in Southern 

 France and in various parts of England. It frequents the banks of streams, ponds 

 and lakes, and the thick grasses and vegetation of marshy grounds. The nest is 

 usually built in these places, being loosely woven of aquatic plants, and lined with 

 finer material of the same; it is often placed near the water's edge, and so arranged 

 as to be capable of floating on the water. Spotted Rail, Spotted Water-hen, Spotted 

 Gallinule, Water-crake, and Water Rail are names common to it in England. The 

 eggs of this bird are from seven to twelve in number; pale buff or cream color, or of 

 a yellowish-gray, spotted and speckled with a dark reddish-brown and tints of 

 lavender. Six eggs, collected in Southern France-, in my cabinet measure 1.34x.96, 

 1.36x,94, 1.32x.93, 1.34x.94, 1.33x.96 and 1.32x.95. 



214. SORA. Porzana Carolina (Linn.) Geog. Dist. Temperate North America. 

 South to the West Indies and Northern South America. 



