450 THE YELLOW RAIL. 



Speaking of the protuberance at the base of the upper mandible, one 

 cannot help wondering whether this is not a reminiscence (in embryo, or as 

 good) of some distant ancestor who possessed a red frontal shield like that 

 of the Florida Gallinule of today. We know that the Rails and Gallinules 

 are closely related, but has this tie of relationship been noted before? 



No. 200. 



YELLOW RAIL. 



A. O. U. No. 215. Porzana noveboracensis (Gmel.). 



Description. — Adult : Prevailing color ochraceous-buff, clearest on breast ; 

 upper parts heavily striped with dark brownish anteriorly, and with black pos- 

 teriorly ; feathers of back and scapulars, and inner quills with very narrow subter- 

 minal bars of white, some of the feathers twice or three times crossed with white ; 

 edge of wing white ; wing-quills light fuscous, the inner secondaries broadly tipped 

 with white ; a dark brown spot on lores, produced indistinctly to include auriculars ; 

 axillars and lining of wings white ; sides and flanks dense ochraceous to dusky, 

 narrowly barred; middle of belly whitish. Length 6.00-7.75 ( 152.4-196.9) ; wing 

 3.30 (83.8); tail .51 (13.); tarsus .92 (23.4); middle toe and claw .95 (24.1). 



Recognition Marks. — Sparrow size ; marsh-skulking habits ; ochraceous col- 

 oration. 



Nest, of grasses, on the ground in marsh. Eggs, 6 or more, creamy buff, 

 densely sprinkled and speckled on larger end with rusty brown. Av. size, 1.12 x 

 .83 (28.5 X 21. i)" (Ridgw.). 



General Range. — Chiefly eastern North America, north to Nova Scotia, 

 Hudson Bay, etc. ; less commonly west to Nevada and California. No extra- 

 limital records except for Cuba and Bermuda. 



Range in Ohio. — Rare or locally restricted. Believed to breed. 



THIS little Rail possesses most of the common traits of the three pre- 

 ceding species, but adds to them an even greater reluctance to take to wing, 

 and is on this account little known. It is said to frequent upland meadows 

 as well as reedy swamps, but such is its fleetness of foot and ingenuity in 

 threading the wilderness of bristling grass stems that even here it takes 

 a clever dog to raise it. Probably the only efficient method by which to 

 study this bird is to learn its call notes and so entice it to the edge of some 

 secluded swamp opening. It is said to be quite pugnacious, and to respond 

 readily to the supposed challenge of another bird. Mr. Nuttall speaks of 

 their "abrupt and cackling cry, krek-krek Jtrek , krek, kuk, k'kh," and likens 

 it to the sound of a croaking tree frog. 



Dr. Howard E. Jones of Circleville has attained a special facility in the 

 study of the Yellow Rail, and the reports of his succe'ss indicate that the 

 bird ought to be found not uncommonly throughout the state. 



