46 PACIFIC COAST AVIFAUNA No. 11 
least a few winter in the San Joaquin Valley. Recorded as breeding in the 
northeastern corner of the state (Henshaw, Rep. Wheeler Surv., 1879, p. 323; 
Cooke, U. S. Dept. Agric., bull. 128, 1914, p. 11); summer records also from 
alpine meadows of the northern Sierras (several records), and from the San 
Joaquin Valley south to the Tulare Lake region (Goldman, Condor, x, 1908, p. 
202), 
125 | (210) Rallus obsoletus Ridgway 
CALIFORNIA CLAPPER RAIL 
Synonyms—Rallus elegans; Rallus elegans var. obsoletus; Red-breasted 
Rail; Marsh Hen. 
Status—Common resident on the salt marshes around the south arm of San 
Francisco Bay. Has been recorded (casually?) from Petaluma (Newberry, Pac. 
R. R. Rep., vi, 1857, p. 96), from the Farallon Islands (W. E. Bryant, Proce. 
Calif. Acad. Sci., 2nd ser., 1, 1888, p. 42), from Tomales Bay (Storer, Condor, 
xv, 1915, p. 98), and from Humboldt Bay (Suckley, Pac. R. R. Rep., xm, 1860, 
p. 246; Storer, loc. cit.). Occurred formerly, 25 or more years ago, on the San 
Francisco Bay shores of Marin and Sonoma counties (J. and J. W. Mailliard, 
MS), and there are unconfirmed rumors of its more recent presence on the salt 
marshes of Monterey Bay. The range of this comparatively large rail was thus 
always within history at best extremely restricted; and now, with the reclama- 
tion of marshlands around San Francisco Bay, and as subjected to concentrated 
pursuit by hunters, the species seems destined to early extinction. 
126 (210.1) Rallus levipes Bangs 
LIGHT-FOOTED RAIL 
Synonyms—Rallus obsoletus, part; Southern California Clapper Rail. 
Status—Common resident on the coastal marshes of the San Diegan dis- 
trict. Recorded at various points from San Diego to Santa Barbara. While 
usually restricted to salt marshes, there is one breeding record from fresh water: 
Nigger Slough, Los Angeles County (Willett, Condor, vim, 1906, p. 151). This 
rail, like its near relative, obsoletus, is becoming notably scarcer year by year, 
and in many marshes where it formerly occurred commonly it is now unknown 
(see Willett, Pac. Coast Avif. no. 7, 1912, p. 32). 
127 (212) Rallus virginianus Linnaeus 
VIRGINIA Rath 
Synonym—Sora, part. 
Status—Common in summer in suitable localities throughout the state. 
Southernmost breeding station, Escondido, San Diego County (Sharp, Condor, 
ix, 1907, p. 86). Fairly common in winter west of the Sierras and north at least 
as far as the Suisun marshes, Solano County (Mus. Vert. Zool.), and Tomales 
Bay (J. and J. W. Mailliard, MS). 
