﻿282 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  and 
  western 
  New 
  York. 
  I 
  can 
  find 
  records 
  of 
  only 
  five 
  specimens 
  actually 
  

  

  taken 
  in 
  New 
  York 
  State: 
  

  

  Penn 
  Yan, 
  Yates 
  CO., 
  N. 
  Y. 
  Spring 
  1870. 
  (John 
  Gilbert). 
  Birds 
  of 
  Cen. 
  N. 
  Y., 
  p. 
  35 
  

  

  Watkins, 
  Schuyler 
  CO., 
  N. 
  Y. 
  Spring 
  1872. 
  

  

  Jamaica, 
  L. 
  I. 
  Spring 
  1879. 
  R. 
  B. 
  Lawrence, 
  N. 
  O. 
  C. 
  Bui. 
  5: 
  117 
  

  

  Canarsie, 
  L. 
  I. 
  Spring 
  1884. 
  (C. 
  Sargood). 
  Forest 
  and 
  Stream, 
  Aug. 
  7, 
  1884, 
  p. 
  24; 
  

  

  also, 
  Grinnell, 
  Forest 
  and 
  Stream, 
  Aug. 
  7, 
  1884, 
  p. 
  24 
  

   South 
  Oyster 
  Bay, 
  L. 
  I. 
  Aug. 
  i, 
  1884. 
  (L. 
  S. 
  Foster). 
  Forest 
  and 
  Stream, 
  Aug. 
  7, 
  

  

  1884, 
  p. 
  24 
  

  

  The 
  Black 
  rail 
  has 
  also 
  been 
  reported 
  as 
  seen 
  at 
  close 
  range 
  by 
  Mr 
  

   F. 
  S. 
  Webster, 
  Watervliet, 
  1873; 
  by 
  Dr 
  T. 
  J. 
  Wilson, 
  May 
  30, 
  1874, 
  on 
  

   Seneca 
  river, 
  below 
  Cayuga 
  [Auburn 
  Daily 
  Advertiser, 
  Sept. 
  3, 
  1887]; 
  by 
  

   Nathan 
  L. 
  Davis 
  near 
  Brockport, 
  October 
  1892; 
  and 
  by 
  the 
  late 
  David 
  

   Bruce 
  on 
  two 
  occasions 
  at 
  Lake 
  Ontario, 
  Monroe 
  county. 
  

  

  The 
  nest 
  of 
  this 
  bird 
  found 
  in 
  Connecticut 
  contained 
  nine 
  eggs, 
  creamy 
  

   white, 
  speckled 
  all 
  over 
  with 
  dots 
  of 
  rich 
  reddish 
  brow^n 
  and 
  a 
  few 
  heavier 
  

   ones 
  near 
  the 
  larger 
  end. 
  Dimensions 
  about 
  1.05 
  x 
  .8 
  inches. 
  

  

  The 
  Black 
  rail 
  is 
  even 
  more 
  difficult 
  to 
  flush 
  and 
  more 
  mysterious 
  in 
  

   habits 
  than 
  the 
  Yellow 
  rail. 
  Its 
  note 
  has 
  been 
  described 
  by 
  Mr 
  March 
  of 
  

   Jamaica 
  as 
  chi-chi-cro-croo-croo, 
  several 
  times 
  repeated 
  in 
  a 
  sharp 
  and 
  

   high 
  tone 
  [Baird, 
  Brewer 
  and 
  Ridgway, 
  Water 
  Birds, 
  i 
  : 
  379]. 
  The 
  Kicker, 
  

   whose 
  notes 
  are 
  so 
  fully 
  described 
  by 
  Mr 
  Brewster 
  in 
  the 
  Auk, 
  volumie 
  

   18, 
  pages 
  321-28, 
  is 
  supposed 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  Black 
  rail, 
  but 
  may 
  possibly 
  refer 
  

   to 
  the 
  Yellow 
  rail 
  whose 
  notes 
  are 
  doubtless 
  similar. 
  The 
  commonest 
  

   ICicker 
  notes 
  are 
  as 
  follows: 
  Kik-kik-kik, 
  queeah; 
  Kik-kik-kik, 
  ki-queeah; 
  

   Kik-ki-ki-ki, 
  ki-queeah; 
  Kic-kic, 
  kic-kic, 
  kic-kic, 
  kic-kic, 
  ki-queeah. 
  

  

  Crex 
  crex 
  (Linnaeus) 
  

   Corn 
  Crake 
  

  

  Rail 
  us 
  crex 
  Linnaeus. 
  Syst. 
  Nat. 
  Ed. 
  10. 
  1758. 
  1:153 
  

   Crex 
  crex 
  A. 
  O. 
  U. 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed. 
  2. 
  1895. 
  No. 
  (217) 
  

  

  crex, 
  Gr. 
  Kpe$\ 
  Lat. 
  crex, 
  a 
  crake, 
  referring 
  to 
  the 
  note 
  

  

  Description. 
  Wing 
  coverts 
  above 
  and 
  below^ 
  chestnut, 
  or 
  rust}^ 
  brown 
  ; 
  

   quills 
  rufous 
  brown; 
  bill, 
  eyes 
  and 
  legs 
  pale 
  brown. 
  Otherwise, 
  in 
  size 
  and 
  

   color 
  similar 
  to 
  an 
  overgrown 
  Sora. 
  

  

  Length 
  10 
  inches; 
  wing 
  5.75; 
  tail 
  2- 
  tarsus 
  1.6; 
  bill 
  .9. 
  

  

  