NORTH AMERICAN RAILS AND THEIR ALLIES. 33 



Fall migration. — The first yellow rails returned to Chester, S. C, 

 September 3, 1887 (Loomis); Erie, Pa., September 15, 1901 (Todd); 

 Charlestown, R. L, September 26, 1886 (Glezen); Newton, Mass., 

 September 8, 1868 (Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway); Toronto, Ont., 

 August 5, 1896 (Fleming); near Burlington, Iowa, September 9, 1898 

 (Bartsch); Lanesboro, Minn., September 1, 1886 (Hvoslef); Biloxi, 

 Miss., November 19, 1903 (Brodie); and Bermuda, October, 1847 

 (Hurdis). 



The last were reported from Portland, Me., October 1, 1905 (Nor- 

 ton); Seabrook, N. H., October 15, 1871 (specimen in U. S. National 

 Museum); Canton, Mass., October 15, 1872 (Purdie); near New Ha- 

 ven, Conn., November 10, 1876 (Merriam); Buffalo, N. Y., October 

 11, 1907 (Eaton); Far Rockaway, N.Y., October 15, 1883 (Lawrence); 

 Salem, N. J., October 24, 1908 (McKee); Erie, Pa., October 29, 1901 

 (Todd); Prince George County, Md., November 3, 1880 (Kirkwood); 

 Washington, D. C, November 17, 1893 (Palmer); Lanesboro, Minn., 

 September 24, 1891 (Hvoslef); Delavan, Wis., October 13, 1901 

 (Hollister); Kalamazoo, Mich., October 19, 1890 (Gibbs); Toronto, 

 Ont., October 15, 1895 (Nash); Ottawa, Ont., October 22, 1895 

 (White); and Lawrence, Kans., October 1, 1885 (Kellogg). 



BLACK RAIL. Creciscus jamaicensis (Gmelin). 



Range. — North America from Kansas, southern Ontario, and Mas- 

 sachusetts, to Jamaica and Guatemala. 



Breeding range. — The black rail breeds throughout the northern 

 half of its range in the United States ; it is not only the rarest rail in 

 this district, but is also so secretive that even when present it is 

 seldom seen, and hardly more than a dozen nests have ever been 

 found. It occurs in summer from Mount Pleasant, S. C. (Wayne), 

 Weaverville, N. C. (Cairns), Philo, 111. (Hess), and Garden City, Kans. 

 (Kellogg), north to Chatham, Mass. (Allen), Dundas, Ont. (Nash), 

 Calumet, 111. (Nelson), Fort Dodge, Iowa (Somes), and Beloit, Kans. 

 (Goss). It has been taken also north to Lake Koshkonong, Wis., 

 August 20, 1877 (Kumlien and Hollister), Westpoint, Nebr. (Bruner), 

 and Denver, Colo. (Bruce). 



Winter range. — The black rail winters in Guatemala (Salvin), and 

 occurs in Jamaica from August to February and rarely to April 

 (Scott). There seems to be no sure record of its wintering anywhere 

 in the United States. 



Spring migration. — The species was noted in the spring at Key 

 West, Fla., March 11, 1890 (Scott); Warrington, Fla., March 22-26, 

 1885 (Stone); Mosquito Inlet, Fla., May 9, 1902 (Gane); Washing- 

 ton, D. C, May 29, 1891 (Brown), and June 6, 1879 (Baird, Brewer, 

 and Ridgway); Milton Hill, Mass., May 16, 1904 (Cobb); Canton, 

 111., April 15, 1895 (Cobleigh); Bicknell, Ind., May 1, 1907 (Chansler); 



