BY EDGAR A. MEARNS. 81 



A common summer resident; breeds. Arrives in April (May 9, 1874; 

 April 26, 1875; 29, 1876; 30, 1877; 20, 1878; 19, 1879; 20, 1880; May 8, 

 1881), and departs in October. 



Dimensions. Average measurements of eleven adult specimens : 

 length, 7-87: stretch, 13-67; wing, 4-30; tail, 2-13; culmen, -95; gape, 

 1-03; tarsus, 1-93; middle toe, -83; its claw, -19. 



Family, RALLID^E. 



165. Rallus longirostris crepitans, Gmelin. CLAPPER KAIL. 

 Occasionally shot in autumn. 



166. Ballus virginianus, Linne. VIRGINIA KAIL. A summer 

 resident; breeds. * 



167 Porzana Carolina, Linne. CAROLINA KAIL; SORA. A 

 summer resident; breeds. 



Dimensions. Average measurements of fourteen specimens : length, 

 9-00; stretch, 14-30; wing, 4-35; tail, 2-25; length from tip of bill to 

 end of toes, 12-75; bill from nostril, -44; culmen, -89; gape, -90; tar- 

 sus, 1-36; middle toe, 1-43; its claw, '35; middle toe and claw, 1-75. 



168. Gallinula galeata, ' Lichtenstein. FLORIDA GALLINUL*. 

 A summer resident. Mr. Francis Butterfass, of Cold Spring, has a 

 mounted specimen which he shot near Cold Spring, on the Hudson. 

 Mr. Winfrid A. Stearns states (List of Birds in the Vicinity of Fish- 

 kill-on-Hudsou, N. Y., 1880) that a single specimen Was shot at 

 Fishkill, on the Hudson. Bonaparte observes (Wilson and Bona- 

 parte, American Ornithology, Vol. Ill, p. 402, 1828) : " In the middle 

 and northern United States it appears to be quite accidental ; for, 

 although a few well authenticated instances are known of its having 

 been seen and shot, even as far as Albany, in the State of New York, 

 it has escaped the researches of Wilson, as well as my own. It is by 

 no means, therefore, a common bird, and is not known as inhabiting 

 arctic America, ranging much less to the north, even as a straggler, 

 than its European analogue." 



169. Pulica americana, Gmelin. AMERICAN COOT. Abun- 

 dant on the Hudson River in spring and fall. 



Dimensions. Measurements of No. 800, $ ad., Hudson River, Oc- 

 tober 11, 1875, E. A. M. : length, 14-50; stretch, 26-00; wing, 7-19; 

 tail, 1-94; length from tip of bill to end of toes, 20 00. 



Family, ANATIDJE. 



170. Olor americanua, Sharpless. AMERICAN SWAN; WHIST- 

 LING SWAN. An occasional visitant. Dr. A. K. Fisher informed me 



ESSEX INST. BULLETIN, VOL. XIII. 7 



