29 



Order PALUDICOLE Cranes, Rails, etc. 



Family RALLID^E. RAILS, GALLINULES, AND COOTS. 



97. Rallus elegans Aud. KING RAIL. (208.) Breeds as 

 far north as Connecticut, and has been known to stray to Maine. 

 It is a rare summer resident of our fresh-water marshes (Dutcher, 

 Auk, V, 1888, p. 176). 



98. Rallus longirostris crepitans (Gmel.). CLAPPER RAIL; 

 MEADOW HEN ; MARSH HEN. (211.) Salt-water marshes of eastern 

 North America, breeding from Connecticut to the Gulf of Mexico. 

 This is an exceedingly common summer resident, and is occasionally 

 found in winter in the salt marshes of our coasts. The nest is 

 placed on the ground among the meadow grasses. (See Group, 

 main floor, between Cases O and P.) 



99. Rallus virginianus Linn. VIRGINIA RAIL. (212 ) 

 Breeds from Pennsylvania northward. In this vicinity it is a 

 locally common summer resident, and a few remain during the 

 winter. 



100. Porzana Carolina (Linn.). SORA ; CAROLINA RAIL; 

 RAIL-BIRD. (214.) Breeds from Long Island northward, and 

 winters from South Carolina to northern South America. It is a 

 rather rare summer resident in this vicinity, but in the fall becomes 

 common, feeding on the wild rice of our marshes where, however, 

 it is yearly becoming less numerous. 



101. Porzana noveboracensis (/?/.). YELLOW RAIL. (215.) 

 " Eastern North America, from Nova Scotia and Hudson's Bay 

 west to Utah and Nevada." Little is known about the nesting 

 habits of this bird. It haunts grassy marshes and seeks safety by 

 hiding or running, and for this reason is rarely seen. Several have 

 been taken during the fall migration in this vicinity, and it is 

 doubtless more common than is generally supposed. 



102. Porzana jamaicensis (Gmel.). BLACK RAIL. (216.) 

 Temperate North America, north to Massachusetts, probably 

 breeding throughout its range. This bird, though much rarer, 

 has, as far as known, the same habits as the preceding species, and 



