CATALOGUE OF CANADIAN BIRDS. 1 53 



in New Brunswick. (Chamberlain.) Rare migrant in Quebec. 

 (Dionne.) A rare migrant in Ontario ; occasionally taken in Toronto 

 marsh. {Mcllwraith.) Of late years this bird has been taken at 

 Toronto, Ont., every year and must occur more commonly than is 

 supposed. (/. H. Fleming.) A fine specimen of the yellow rail 

 was shot at Rockland, Ont. (G. R. White.) I have found this 

 bird during the nesting season (June) at the mouth of the Thames 

 river, Ont. Seen and heard fifteen miles southeast of Red Deer, 

 Alta., in June, 1906, where it was undoubtedly breeding. (W. 

 Saunders.) 



This species seems to be a far from rare summer resident in Mani- 

 toba. Seton in his Birds of Manitoba, gives many instances of its 

 occurence and the writer's own observations agree with his express- 

 ed opinions. A small rail that seemed to jump out of the sedge, 

 with legs hanging down, and just as suddenly drop again has been 

 observed as far west as Moose Jaw, but in no case was a specimen 

 obtained. 



The following is Hutchin's manuscript notice of the bird written 

 in 1777. "This elegant bird is an inhabitant of the marshes on the 

 coast of Hudson bay near the efiux of the Severn river, about 150 

 miles south of York Factory, from the middle of May to the end of 

 September. It never flies above sixty yards at a time, but runs 

 with great rapidity among the long grass near the shores. In the 

 morning and evening it utters a note which resembles the striking 

 of a flint and steel; at other times it makes a shrieking noise. It 

 builds no nest but lays from ten to sixteen perfectly white eggs 

 among the grass." 



216. Black Rail 



Porzana jamaicensis (Gmel.) Baird. 1845. 



Dr. Cottle of Woodstock, Ont., claims to have found a bird of 

 this species at IngersoU in 1856, and from my knowledge of Dr. 

 Cottle I am satisfied his identification is correct. {Mcllwraith.) 

 Mr. Nash, who collected in the Dundas marsh in 1874, writes Mr. 

 Mcllwraith as follows in January, 1894: 



"Aug. i8th, 1874. — Shot four of these birds this evening at the 

 upper end of Dundas marsh. My dogs put them up where the 



