﻿274 
  

  

  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  Rallus 
  virginianus 
  Linnaeus 
  

   Virginia 
  Rail 
  

  

  Plate 
  25 
  

  

  Rallus 
  virginianus 
  Linnaeus. 
  Syst. 
  Nat. 
  Ed. 
  12. 
  1766. 
  1:263 
  

  

  DeKay. 
  Zool. 
  N. 
  Y. 
  1844. 
  pt 
  2, 
  p. 
  261, 
  fig. 
  223 
  

   A. 
  O. 
  U. 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed. 
  2. 
  1895. 
  No. 
  212 
  

  

  Virginia' 
  mis, 
  of 
  Virginia 
  

  

  Description. 
  In 
  color 
  very 
  similar 
  to 
  the 
  King 
  rail; 
  but 
  the 
  sides 
  

   of 
  the 
  head 
  bluish 
  ash; 
  legs 
  more 
  reddish. 
  Immature: 
  Darker, 
  more 
  

   or 
  less 
  blackish 
  below 
  becoming 
  whitish 
  on 
  throat 
  and 
  central 
  line 
  of 
  the 
  

   beU3^ 
  Downy 
  young: 
  Uniform 
  glossy 
  black 
  as 
  in 
  all 
  the 
  genus 
  Rallus. 
  

  

  Distribution 
  and 
  migration. 
  The 
  Virginia 
  rail 
  is 
  a 
  fairly 
  common 
  

   summer 
  resident 
  on 
  the 
  marshes 
  of 
  Long 
  Island 
  and 
  central 
  and 
  western 
  

   New 
  York, 
  and 
  undoubtedly 
  breeds 
  in 
  ever}' 
  coimty 
  of 
  the 
  State, 
  with 
  

   the 
  exception 
  of 
  the 
  Adirondack 
  region. 
  Along 
  the 
  smaller 
  streams 
  and 
  

  

  marshes 
  it 
  is 
  less 
  common, 
  

   but 
  ever3rwhere 
  is 
  more 
  

   abundant 
  than 
  is 
  popular- 
  

   ly 
  believed. 
  It 
  arrives 
  

   from 
  the 
  south 
  in 
  April, 
  

   from 
  the 
  lothtothe 
  27th, 
  

   and 
  leaves 
  for 
  the 
  south 
  

   late 
  in 
  October, 
  passing 
  

   the 
  winter 
  in 
  the 
  South- 
  

   ern 
  States, 
  Cuba 
  and 
  

   Central 
  America. 
  The 
  

   breeding 
  range 
  seems 
  to 
  

   be 
  confined 
  to 
  the 
  upper 
  

   austral, 
  transition 
  and 
  

   lower 
  boreal 
  zones. 
  

   The 
  Virginia 
  rail, 
  or 
  little 
  Mud 
  hen, 
  inhabits 
  the 
  grassy 
  marshes, 
  keeping 
  

   rather 
  more 
  on 
  the 
  landward 
  side 
  than 
  the 
  Sora, 
  and 
  usually 
  placing 
  its 
  

   nest 
  on 
  dryer 
  ground 
  and 
  rarely 
  in 
  the 
  flooded 
  marshes. 
  It 
  is 
  well 
  concealed 
  

   in 
  the 
  brush, 
  or 
  dense 
  grass, 
  and 
  is 
  composed 
  of 
  dead 
  flags 
  or 
  grasses, 
  piled 
  

  

  Virginia 
  rail 
  on 
  nest. 
  (From 
  Bird 
  Lore. 
  Photo 
  by 
  E. 
  G. 
  Tabor) 
  

  

  