RALLID^ — THE RAILS — PORZANA. 375 



Porzana noveboracensis. 



THE LITTLE YELLOW RAIL. 



FnUca novchoracensis, Gmkl. ri. N. I. ii. 178S, 701. 



Orti/govietra noveboracensis, Stei'IIEN's, Shaw's Gen. Zool. XII. 1S2-1, 222 Aud. Syiiop. 1839, 213 ; 



B. Am. V. 1842, 152, pi. 307. 

 Hallits 7i(rvcboraceiisis, HoNAr. Specc. Comp. 1827, 212 ; Am. Oni. I\'. 1832, 13C, pi. 27, fig. 2. — 



NuTT. Man. II. 1834, 215. — Sw. & Kicii. F. IS. A. II. 1831, -102. — Aud. Orn. Biog. IV. 1838, 



251, pi. 329. 

 Porzana noveboracensis, Ca.s.s. in Build's 15. N. Am. 1858, 750. — Baird, Cut. N. Am. B. 1859, no. 



557. — CouKs, Key, 1872, 274 ; Check List, 1873, no. 469 ; 2d eJ. 1882, no. 680 ; Birds N. W. 



1874, 539. — RiDovv. Norn. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 575. 

 Perdix ffudsmiica. Lath. Ind. Orn. II. 1790, 635. 



Ralliis ruficoUis, ViElLi.. Nouv. Diet. XXVIII. 1819, 556; Gal. Ois. 1834, 168, pi. 266. 

 " Porzana jamaicensis (!) " (en-or), Eidgw. (Jrn. 40th Par. Exp. 1877, 613 (Nevada and Utah).' 



Hab. Eastern North America, north to Hudson's Bay, and Nova Scotia, west to Utali and 

 Nevada. No extraliiuital record except Cuba and the Bermudas. 



Sp. Char. Adult : Yellowish ochraceous, very glossy above, where broadly striped with black, 

 tbe black intersected by narrow bars of white : belly whitish ; flanks dusky, narrowly barreil with 



white : crissum light cinnamon ; axillars, lining of wing, and exposed portion of secondaries, white. 

 " Bill greenish black, with the base dull yellowish orange ; iris hazel ; feet and claws light flesh- 

 color " (Acdcbon). Total length, about 6.00 inches ; wing, 3.00-3.50 ; culmen, .50-55 ; tarsus, 

 .90-1.00 ; middle toe, .90. 



There is a considerable range of individual variation, both in size and markings, even among 

 specimens from the same locality. 



The specific habits aud distribution of this bird are imperfectly known. It has 

 been found in various localities along the Atlantic coast as far to the eastward as 

 New Brunswick, it is known to breed in Xorthern Illinois, where its nests and eggs 

 have been taken, and it also occurs on the Pacific coast, probably in at least equal 

 abundance. As it is also found in Southwestern Texas, we naturally infer that it 

 has a very general distribution over the entire United States, from the Gulf shore to 

 Canada, and probably farther north, and from the eastern to the western coasts. 

 That it is anywhere abundant cannot be positively stated, although it might be so, 

 since its small size and skulking habits might prevent its being seen, even when 

 present in considerable numbers. 



iSIr. Dresser was informed by Dr. Heermann that this bird is not uncommon at 

 Mitchell's Lake, near San Antonio. As when the former visited that locality the 



1 The small Rail refen-ed, witli great hesitation, by Mr. Kidgway to P. jamaieensis, in his "Ornithol- 

 ogy of the Fortieth Parallel," p. 613, was undoubtedly this species, which is the only one showing white 

 along the hinder, margin of the wing — a peculiarity noted in the birds observed. The ajiparently 

 "blackish color" was due to imperfect opportunity of observation. 



