254 YELLOW-BREASTED RAIL. 
the end of September. It never flies above sixty yards at a time, but 
runs with great rapidity among the long grass near the shores. In the 
morning and evening it utters a note, which resembles the striking of 
a flint and steel ; at other times it makes a shrieking noise. It builds 
no nest, but lays from ten to sixteen perfectly white eggs among the 
grass.” 
Now, this making no nest is to me a convincing proof that the spe- 
cies is not there in its natural place, but finding itself pushed for time, 
and yet obliged to breed, is contented to do so under unfavourable cir- 
cumstances. Dr Ricuarpson, who spent several years in the northern 
parts of America, did not meet with this species. I saw none in La- 
brador or Newfoundland ; and in the British provinces of New Bruns- 
wick and Nova Scotia, the only bird of this family known is the Sora, 
Rallus carolinus. 
Gattinuta Novesoracenstis, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 771. 
Rattus Noveporacensis, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, 
p. 335.—Ch. Bonaparte, American Ornith. vol. iv. p. 136, pl. 27, fig. 2. 
YELLOW-BREASTED Ratt, Rattus Novesoracensis, Richards. and Swains. Fauna 
Bor.-Amer. vol. ii. p. 402. 
YELLOowW-BREASTED Rai, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 402. 
Adult Male. Plate CCCX XIX. 
Bill shorter than the head, rather stout, compressed, tapering. 
Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight, being slightly 
convex towards the end, the ridge narrow and convex in its whole 
length, the sides convex towards the end, the edges sharp, slightly 
overlapping, destitute of notch. Nasal groove broad, and extending to 
a little beyond the middle of the bill; nostrils linear, lateral, subme- 
dial, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle long and narrow, the 
sides erect, the dorsal line sloping upwards, the edges a little inflected, 
the tip narrowed, the gape-line straight. 
Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck shortish. Body 
compact, deeper than broad. Feet of moderate length, rather stout ; 
tibia bare a short way above the joint; tarsus of ordinary length, com- 
pressed, anteriorly covered with broad scutella, posteriorly with smaller, 
and on the sides reticulated. Hind toe small and very slender; mid- 
dle toe longest, and longer than the tarsus; inner toe considerably 
shorter than the outer ; toes free, with numerous scutella above. Claws 
