WATER BIRDS. 159 
82. Yellow Rail. Coturnicops noveboracensis (Gmel.). (215) 
Synonyms: Little Yellow Rail, Yellow Crake.—Fulica noveboracensis, Gmel., 1789.— 
Ortygometra noveboracensis, Steph., 1824.—Rallus noveboracensis, Bonap., Aud., Nutt. 
—Porzana noveboracensis, Cassin, 1858, and most subsequent writers. 
Figure 43. 
The small size, general yellowness, and sharp white cross-bars on the 
feathers of the back are distinguishing marks. 
Distribution.—Chiefly eastern North America, north to Nova Scotia, 
Hudson Bay, ete., less commonly west to Nevada and California. No 
extra limital records except for Cuba and Bermuda. 
Fig. 43. Yellow Rail. 
From Bird Lore. (Courtesy of Frank M. Chapman.) 
This little rail is one of the rarest of the family in Michigan and specimens 
are far from common in our museums. Mr. A. B. Covert states that nine 
specimens were shot at Ann Arbor, Sept. 13, 1877 by one hunter, a single 
specimen now preserved in the University Museum being the only one 
saved. One or two were taken in muskrat traps at Vicksburg, Michigan, 
by D. Corwin of that place; one was taken near Kalamazoo City, October 
19, 1890, and is now in the University of Michigan collection at Ann Arbor 
(Gibbs, Oologist, Nov. 1890); another specimen was picked up mutilated 
and too much decomposed for preservation, in the center of Kalamazoo 
City, about the middle of September, 1900. This specimen was doubtless 
killed by flying” against the telephone wires (Dr. M. Gibbs, The Bittern, 
Grand Rapids, 1901, p. 4). Dr. Gibbs also records another specimen 
taken in autumn (date not specified) near Kalamazoo, by Wm. O’Byrne 
