32 



SUBORDER R ALLI. RAILS ; GALLINULES ; COOTS, ETC. 



FAMILY RALLID^E. RAILS; GALLINULES, ETC. 



SUBFAMILY RALLIN^E. RAILS. 



GENUS RALLUS LINNJSUS. 



*72. Kallus elegans And. KING RAIL; RED-BKEASTED RAIL; "MARSH HEN." 



Migrant southward ; summer resident, rare in some places, but common through 

 out the northern part of ihe State, where they breed in some numbers. They pass 

 northward in April and early May and immediately proceed to nest- building. Nests 

 have been found with freh eggs in June. (Deane) The parents have been 

 noted, with "downy black" young following, June 8 and 16, 1878, June 1, 1884. 

 (Coale). Mr. Kidgway informs me of its breeding in Knox and Gibson counties. 

 Mr. Deane, under date May 11, 1890, from English Lake, says: "One nest, 12 eggs, 

 found by Mr. Steinman, built in over-flowed meadow; nest consisting of broken, 

 dried cane thrown up; the nest proper very small and the eggs piled up on top of 

 each other." 



*73. Rallus virginianus Linn. VIRGINIA RAIL. 



Regular and rather common migrant; summer resident in some numbers; 

 locally northward, Lake County (Mtyer, Parker, Toppan); Laporte County 

 (Byrkit). This species appears to be much more common in the spring than in the 

 fall migrations, in fact it is almost unknown at the latter season. Mr. Deane's 

 experience is the same as mine, for writing upon this subject he says, speaking of 

 the English Lake region : " We never get the Virginia Rail in the fall. * * 

 I have examined a good many bags of small Rail in August and September and 

 have killed as many as eighty in a morning, and no Virginias taken." Mr. Wm. 

 S. Perry found them equally abundant with the Sora in April, 1885, in the Kan- 

 kakee marsh. (See notes on Yellow Rail.) Mr. H. W. McBride found them breed- 

 ing in Elkhart County, May 19, 1890. 



GENUS PORZANA VIEILLOT. 

 Submenus PORZANA. 



''74. Porzana Carolina (Linn.). SORA; CAROLINA RAIL. 



Common migrant throughout the State and common summer resident in the 

 northern part, where it breeds commonly. Dr. Stein informs me they are not rare 

 in Gibson and Knox counties, so that it is possible that some breed in localities 

 which seem well adapted to them here. 



