RAILS 



(214) Porzana Carolina 



{Linn.) (Ital., name for the CmkeJ. 



SORARAIL; CAROLINA RAIL; 

 COililON KAIL. Bill stouter than 

 that of any of the preceding rails. 

 Ads. — Plumage ;u3 shown by the 

 upper bird; face black. Im. — .-Vs 

 shown by the lower bird; more 

 3'ellowish and with no black on the 

 head. Downy young black, with a 

 beard of orange bristles about the 

 face and throat. L., 8.50; W., 4.25; 

 Tar., 1.30; B., .70. 



Range — Breeds from N. B., 

 Mackenzie and B. C. south to N. J., 

 III. and Cal. Winters in southern 

 half of U. S. 



(213) SPOTTED CRAKE (Por- 

 zana porzana). An Old World spe- 

 cies, occurring occasionally in Green- 

 land. 



impossible to malve tliem fly, but at high tide their marshes 

 are flooded and they are forced to cling to the taller grasses. 

 It is at flood tide that they are hunted, men polling through 

 the marshes in skills and drop[)ing the rails as they are forced 

 to leave their refuges. Their flight is so slow and fluttering 

 that even a tyro could not miss them. 



VIRGINIA RAILS are not only miniature of Rang Rails 

 in appearance, but their habits are similar, especially in that 

 they both prefer and live almost exclusively in fresh-water 

 marshes. 



During spring, in cloudy weather, early mornings and in 

 the evening the love song of the male comes from the marshes 

 — a guttural "cut, cut, cutta-cutta-cutta, " repeated at 

 frequent intervals. Their nests are in the dryer portions of 

 the marsh, well concealed under dense grass or brush. 



SORAS are apparently the most abundant of cur rails. 

 Small in size and with a thin body, they readily recall the 

 saying "as thin as a rail." Yet during fall thousands of 



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