ZOOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT. 45 



people for table use. Dr. Brownell writes me that he has known them to be so tame 

 that he could walk to within twenty feet of them; the male often executes a queer 

 dance, and their note is like the rapid stroke of a coarse cow bell. 



Suborder RALLI. Rails; Gallinules; Coots, ^eto. 



Family RALLID2E. Rails; Gallinules, etc. 



Feed on reptiles and aquatic animals. 



Subfamily RALLINiE. Rails. 



Gknds RALLUS Linn. 



89-208-«J76). Rallus elegans Aud. King Rail; Red-Breasted Rail; Fresh 

 Watee Marsh Hen. 

 Rather common; we have it from this place and Saginaw Bay; "Hillsdale Co." (A. 

 H.Boies); "abundant in marshes of Monroe '_Co. near Lake Erie" (Jerome Tromb- 

 ley); " breeds at Plymouth, Wayne Co." (J. B. Purdy); " a rare transient in Kalamazoo 

 Co., only twice captured to my knowledge" (Dr. M. Gibbs); breeds; nests on the 

 ground ; " nests abundantly in Wayne and St. Clair counties " (B. H. Swales); eggs six to 

 twelve, buff, spotted with varying hues of brown; a young bird in collection of E. S. 

 Holmes, of Grand Rapids, was taken by him near the mouth of the Kalamazoo River, 

 in Allegan Co. Dr. W. C. Brownell writes me that he took ten eggs from a nest. The 

 old bird was very fearless. He has seen the'young, mere puffs of black down, leave 

 the nest within a half hour of hatching. 



90-212-(677). Rallus Virginian us Linn. * Virginia Rail. 



Very common; Southern Michigan; May to September; "abundant in Southwestern 

 Michigan'' (Prof. J. W. Simmons); " abundant about marshes in Monroe Co., near Lake 

 Erie" (Jerome Trombley); " breeds near St. Clair" (B. H. Swales); nests on stems of 

 flags, etc., on the ground; eggs six to twelve, usually seven or eight, creamy white, 

 spotted with small spots of reddish brown. I have found these common here and very 

 common at Saginaw Bay. Mr. L. W. Watkins tells me that they nest very abundantly 

 at Traverse City. This is hunted as a game bird, but is rather inferior for table use: 

 " these birds never commence to sit till a full complement of eggs is laid " (J. B. Purdy). 



Genus PORZANA Vieill. 



Carolina Rail, reduced. 



J)l-214-(679). Porzana Carolina (Linn.). *Sora; Carolina Rail; Crake; Ortolan. 

 Very common; Southern Michigan; May to Oct.; " abundant in Southern Michi- 

 gan" (J. W. Simmons); "Looking Glass River near DeWitt" (Dr. G. W. Topping); 



