94 RAILS AND COOT. 
generally distributed species being our Sora or Carolina 
Rail, so well known to sportsmen. This bird passes 
Sora, us in the spring in April and nests from 
Porzana carolina. Massachusetts northward. It returns 
Plate Us in August and lingers in our wild-rice 
marshes until October. During the nesting season it 
has two calls—a whistled, her-wee, and a high, rolling 
whinny. In the fall it utters a kuk or peep when dis- 
turbed. 
There is no sexual difference in color in this species, 
but birds of the year lack the black about the base of 
the bill and on the throat, and have the breast washed 
with cinnamon. 
Our other species of Rail are the King, Yellow, and 
Little Black Rail, all of which are rare ; the Virginia Rail, 
Clapper Rail, Which is more common, and the Clap- 
Rallus crepitans. per Rail or Marsh Hen, an abundant 
ign species in some of the salt marshes 
along our coasts from Long Island southward. It isa 
noisy bird with a peculiar cackling call which it utters 
in a way that suggests the sound produced by some auto- 
matic toys. 
Its nest is made of dried grasses, the surrounding 
marsh grass being slightly arched over it. Eight to 
twelve buffy, speckled eggs are laid, a number which, 
in connection with the abundance of the bird, has led to 
the persistent robbing of its nests by men who sell the 
eggs for food. As a result of this practice the birds 
have greatly decreased in numbers during recent years. 
The Coot, Mud-hen, or Crow-duck differs from the 
Rails in having lobed toes (see Fig. 12) and in being 
American Coot, | ™ore aquatic. In fact, it is more like 
Fulica americana. & Duck in habits than like a Rail, but 
sp a its pointed, white-tipped bill will pre-— 
vent its being mistaken for one. 
