CHECK LIST OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 109 



674. Ballus longirostris obsoletus (Ridg.) Coues. B . c 466a. R 570. 



California Clapper Rail. 



675. Ballus longirostris saturatus Hensh. B . c . R 57ia. 



Louisiana Clapper Rail. 



676. Rallus elegans Aud. B 552. c 466. R 569. 



King Rail; Fresh Marsh Hen. 



677. Rallus virginianus L. B 554. C467. R 572. 



Virginia Rail. 



678. Porzana maruetta (Leach) Bp. B . c . R 573. (G.) 



Spotted Crake. 



679. Porzana Carolina (L.) V. B 555. c 468. R 574. 



Carolina Crake ; Rail ; Sora ; Ortolan. 



680. Porzana noveboracensis (Gm.) Cass. B 557. c 469. R 575. 



Yellow Crake. 



681. Porzana jamaicensis (Gm.) Cass. B 556. c 470. R 576. 



Black Crake. 



674. R. 1. ob-sdl-e'-tiis. Lat. obsoletus, obsolete, grown unaccustomed, passed out of vogue ; 



06, opposition, and solesco, I grow accustomed; soleo, I am accustomed. The application 

 is to the faded, as if worn out and disused, coloration. 



This is R. elegans var. obsoletus, of the orig. ed., Appendix : see Bull. Nutt. Club, v, 

 1880, p. 139. 



675. R. 1. sat-u-ra'-tus. Lat. saturatus, saturated, satiated, filled full ; i. e. t having eaten 



enough ; satis, enough : whence satisfied, &c. The allusion is to the color, which is full, 

 i. e. rich, dark, heavy. 



Not in the orig. ed. ; since described. See Bull. Nutt. Club, v, 1880, p. 140. 



676. R. 6Mg-gans. Lat. elegans or eligans, elegant ; literally, choice, select ; from e and lego, I 



pick out; quite equivalent to electus, chosen, picked, eclectic, &c. 



677. R. vir-gln-i-a'-nus. To Virginia, "mother of Presidents," and wet-nurse of Secession. 



678. P6r-za'-na ma-rii-et'-ta. Porzana is an Italian word, the meaning of which we know not ; 



it has been in book-use for several centuries, as the name of some marsh bird. Maruetta 

 is likewise Italian : said to be applicable to anything by the sea, and hence to be equiva- 

 lent to maritime. Crake is to crackle, cackle, creak, croak, quack, &c. ; see Crex, No. 

 683, Querguedula, No. 714. 



Not in the orig. ed. Only North American as occurring in Greenland. See Reinh., 

 Ibis, 1861, p. 12. 



679. P. ca-rd-li'-na. To Carolina. This is the rail of sportsmen. It is also called sora or 



soree ; why, we know not : the word is colloquial and local, and has scarcely crept into 

 the books. The word "ortolan" has a curious connection with this species. It is 

 Italian and French, equal to the Latin hortulanus, relating to a garden : the " ortolan " 

 is Emberiza hortulana, a bunting, esteemed a great delicacy by gourmands ; and our 

 crake has been called ortolan for no better reason than that it is also edible and sapid ! 

 The same name is sometimes applied to the bobolink, Dolichonyx oryzivorus, because it is 

 found abundantly in the same marshes in the fall, and sells in the same restaurants as 

 the same bird as the rail, the two being brought in together by the gunners. 



680. P. n8-vg-bSr-a-cen'-sIs. No New York. See Vireo, No. 181. 



681. P. jam-a-l-cen'-sls. To Jamaica. The name signifies in the vernacular the island of 



springs, of flowing water. 



