WADING BIRDS 



[21 7-] Corn Crake. Crej: crew. 



This European Rail is casually found in Green- 

 land and along the Atlantic coast of North Amer- 

 ica. It is tlie most abundant of European Rails 

 and is found breeding in marshes, meadows and 

 along streams. 



318. Purple Gallinule. lonornis martinicus 



Range. — South Atlantic and Gulf States; casu- 

 ally north in eastern United States to Massachus- 

 etts and Ohio. 



Pale buff. 



A very handsome bird with purplish head, 

 neck and under parts, and a greenish back. Like 

 all the Gallinules and Coots, this species has a 

 scaly crown plate. An abundant breeding species 

 in the southern parts of its range. Its nests are 

 made of rushes or grasses woven together and 

 either attached to living ruslies or placed in tufts 

 of grass. They lay from six to ten eggs of a 

 creamy or pale buff color sparingly blotched with 

 chestnut. Size 1.60 x 1.15. Data. — Avery's Island, 

 Louisiana, May 7, 1896. Ten eggs. Nest of dry ruslies, woven to standing ones 

 growing around an "alligator hole" in a marsh. Collector, E. A. Mcllhenny. 



Purple Galllnule. 

 Corn Crake. 



135 



