BIRDS OF ONTARIO. 25 



(215) Yellow Rail. 



(Porzana noveboracensis.) 



A regular, but not a common, summer resident of our marshes. I 

 have found it in all large marshes from the St. Clair River, east to 

 Toronto. 



(*) (216) Black Rail. 



(Porzana jamaicensis.) 



Very rare, probably a summer resident where it occurs. Dr. Cottle 

 of Woodstock recorded the capture of a specimen at Ingersoll in 1856. 

 In August, 1874, I took four at the upper end of the Dundas marsh and 

 saw others. These birds are very secretive and it requires good dogs to 

 flush them from the rank vegetation in which they skulk. 



SUBFAMILY GALLINULIN^. (GALLINULES.) 

 GENUS IONORNIS. 



(218) Purple Gallinule. 



(lonornis martinica.) 



Of accidental occurrence here. One was taken in the marsh on the 

 Rouge River east of Toronto in 1892, 



GENUS GALLINULA. 



(219) Florida Gallinule. 



(Gallinule galeata.) 



A common summer resident of the marshes of southern Ontario, 

 breeding throughout its range. 



Arrives about the middle of April, departs towards the end of Oc- 

 tober. 



SUBFAMILY FULICIN^. (THE COOTS.) 



GENUS FULICA. 

 (221) American Coot. 



(Fulica americana.) 



Common summer resident ; breeding sparingly in our southern 

 marshes and more abundantly northward. 



Order LIMICOL^. (The Shore Birds.) 



Tibia more or less naked below, legs long, hind toe free and ele- 

 vated, sometimes wanting. Head globose, abruptly sloping to the base 

 of the bill ; completely feathered (except in the case of Pavoncella) ; gape 

 short; bill weak, flexible, more or less soft skinned and sensitive at tip 

 in most cases, adapted for probing in the mud ; nostrils slit-like, sur- 

 rounded by soft skin. 



