58 THE CHICAGO ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



Ballus virginianus Linnffius. Virginia Rail. 



Ballus virginianus LlNN^us, S. N., ed. 12, I, 1766, 263. 

 Fopalar synonyms: Beed-bisd. Red Rail. 



A common summer resident, nesting about the last of May 

 in the long grass on the borders of our prairie sloughs and lakes. 

 This Rail arrives within our limits about the last of April and 

 departs early in September. Regarding its habits, Mr. E. W. 

 Nelson says :* "I have obtained nests with eggs from the sixth 

 of May until the middle of June. This species is found in almost 

 any place where it can find suitable food. I have often flushed 

 it in thickets when looking for woodcock, as well as from the 

 midst of farge marshes. The nest can rarely be distinguished 

 from that of the Carolina rail in form or structure, and is gener- 

 ally placed in a similar location, with the exception that the 

 present species shows a greater preference for dense tufts of 

 grass. I have never seen more than nine eggs in a nest of this 

 species." 



The range of this species includes the whole of temperate 

 North America from the British Possessions south to Guatemala 

 and Cuba. It winters quite throughout its range. 



Genus PORZANA Vieillot, 1816. 



Porzana Carolina (Linnaens). Sora. 



Ballus carolinus Linn^tjs, S. N., ed. 10, I, 1758, 153. 



Rallus (Grex) carolinus BonapaetE; Obs. Wils., 1825, No. 230. 



Ortygometra Carolina Bonaparte, List, 1838, 53. 



Porzana Carolina Baisd, Lit. Rec. & Jour. Linn. Assoc. Penn. Coll., 



Oct. 1845, 255. 

 Popular synonyms: Cabolzna Rail. Common Rail. OBiOLAn. Sosa 



Rail. 



A common summer resident, breeding abundantly in all of 

 our marshes, and on the borders of prairie sloughs, especially in 

 the southern portion of our area. Their nests are usually built 

 in soft dense grass which grows near the borders of the sloughs. 

 Occasionally the nests are built on clumps of grass which grow 

 where they are entirely surrounded by water. The Sora, as well 

 as the other smaller rails, after being flushed once from the nest 

 is very loth to take wing again and may often be picked up alive 

 by the collector. ' A great many of these rails are killed during 

 their migrations by flying against the screens which protect the 

 lights of the light-houses on the coasts of the larger bodies of 



♦Birds of Northeastern Illinois. Bull, of the Essex Institute. Vol. VIII. 1876, 133. 



