88 Field Museum of Natural History — Zoology, Vol. IX. 



GROUP 1. Wing, less than 3.75 inches long. 



Throat, breast, and sides of head, slaty gray ; primaries, with more 

 or less white spots. Frequents marshes. Creciscus jamaicensis. 



Black Rail. 

 See No. 98. 



Throat, breast, and sides of the head, tawny brown, no white spots 

 on primaries. Coturnicops noveboracensis . 



Yellow Rail. 

 See No. 97. 



* GROUP 2. Wing, from 3.75 to 4.75 inches long. 



Back, black or fuscous, the feathers edged with brownish or grayish 

 olive; under parts, cinnamon rufous, whitish on the throat; bill, 

 slightly curved. Rallus virginianus . 



Virginia Rail. 



See No. 95. 



Back, with more or less white streaks; breast, gray or tawny, 

 according to age; lower belly, dull white. Porzana Carolina. 



Carolina Rail or Sora. 

 See No. 96. 



* GROUP 3. Wing, over 4.75 inches long. 



Breast tinged with rufous; feathers on back, dark olive, edged 

 with gray; cheeks and ear coverts, pale cinnamon rufous, sometimes 

 blackish in young birds; bill, over 1.25 inches long. Found in fresh 

 water marshes. Rallus elegans. 



King Rail. 

 See No. 94. 



*For directions for measurement, see page 21. 



