36 



Lincoln, Gresham, Beatrice, Ponca, Ewing, O'Neill, North Platte, 

 Cherry county; breeding at Omaha, at Neligh, and in Holt county. 



215. Porzana noveboracensis (Gmelin) — Yellow Rail. 



Very rare. Bruner reports it once from Bellevue, and has seen 

 it once, years ago, in the Omaha market. There is a specimen, taken 

 at Norfolk, in the collection of L. Sessions of that place. 



216. Porzana jamaicensis (Gmelin) — Black Rail. 



Rare. ' Aughey records two, taken in Richardson county, in Sep- 

 tember, 1873, and Bruner. reports it from West Point, and in the 

 Omaha market. It may breed. 



218. Ionornis martinica (Linnaeus) — Purple Gallinule. 



Only recorded once from Nebraska, a specimen being seen by 

 Bruner, at West Point, in June or July of 1884 or 1885. It was dur- 

 ing high water; and the bird, seen about a rush-grown, cut-off lake, 

 was approached to within twenty yards or less. 



219. *Gallinula galatea (Lichtenstein) — Florida Gallinule. 



Quite a common but locally distributed summer resident in south- 

 eastern Nebraska, rare in sand-hill region. Omaha, Dunbar, Beat- 

 rice, North Platte, Cherry county. Reported as a common breeder 

 at Omaha, as breeding at North Platte, and breeding on the one occa- 

 sion on which it was noted from Cherry county, by Wolcott. 



221. *Fulica americana Gmelin — Coot. 



An abundant migrant, and in the lakes of the sand-hill region an 

 abundant resident ; also common as a resident everywhere in the state 

 where reedy sloughs, and ponds are found. Arrives during the first 

 half of April and departs in October. 



ORDER VII. LIMICOLjE— Shore Birds 



A. Toes with lobed webs on the sides; tarsus much compressed 



Phalaropodidae. 



A. Toes not lobed on the sides; tarsus not especially compressed (B) 



B. Tarsus more than twice as long as middle toe and claw 



' . . . Recurvirostridae. 



B. Tarsus less than twice as long as middle toe and claw (C) 



C. Front of tarsus covered with a continuous row of transverse four- 

 sided scales (E) 



C. Front of tarsus covered with small six-sided irregular scales (D) 



D. Bill shorter than tarsus Charadriidae. 



D. Bill longer than tarsus Haematopodidae. 



E. Bill slender, with a bluntly rounded tip .Scolopacidae. 



E. Bill stout, with a pointed wedge-shaped tip Aphrizidse. 



Family PHALAROPODID-S— Phalaropes 



1. Larger; bill over 1£ inches long Wilson Phalarope. 



1. Smaller; bill under 1 inch long (2) 



