122 BIRD NAMES. 



In a list of the birds of Oneida Co. and its vicinity, New York 

 Ealph and Bagg, 1886 this species is mentioned as " very com- 

 mon on the marshes of Seneca Kiver," and locally known as 

 WATER-CHICKEN. 



In Connecticut, at East Haddam, and Essex, at Havre de 

 Grace, Md., and to many at Enterprise, Fla., KING-RAIL (see 

 No. 34) ; and we read in Forest and Stream, October 2, 1879, of 

 its " Natural History Editor" killing the species on the meadows 

 of the Housatonic, the writer adding " called in that state 

 (Conn.) the King-rail." The species is more common in Con- 

 necticut than many suppose. One of the young birds used in 

 my description was killed while rail-shooting at East Haddam ; 

 a number having been shot there during the same month, Sep- 

 tember, 1886, and five of them certainly during one tide. 



At Washington, D. C., KING-ORTOLAN, and less commonly, 

 MARSH-PULLET; at Alexandria, Va., KING-SORA. The name 

 King-ortolan is given by Coues and Prentiss (Birds of District 

 Columbia, 1861-62) as an alias of Rallus elegans, No. 34 ; but No. 

 33 is certainly the king-rail of the District now (1887), and it 

 may be added, is much more like an enlarged form of " ortolan " 

 No^ 37. 



In the vicinity of Lake St. Clair, about Chicago, and to some 

 at Enterprise, Fla., MUD-HEN, and a friend writes from latter 

 state as follows (being provided with a stuffed specimen) : " At 

 Indian Kiver I showed it to six men in one day, and each said 

 at once, ' that's a mud-hen.' On being asked if it were not a 

 c blue-peter,' they said no, that's a different bird. One man said, 

 i There ain't no other name for that bird l)ut mud-hen.' 1 " 



In the western localities mentioned this species is numerous 

 enough to be thoroughly well known, and is commonly recog- 

 nized as a much superior bird to No. 32. Yet many gunners 

 loosely use the term " mud-hen " for each. Others, however, 

 in these localities and on the Illinois Eiver (in Putnam Co., at 

 least) who are more particular in such matters, distinguish the 

 Gallinule as RICE-HEN, and again at Detroit and other points 

 near Lake St. Clair, as RED-BILLED MUD-HEN, MOOR-HEN (see 

 No. 32), and MARSH-HEN. (For other "marsh-hens," see Nos. 



