RALIJD^— THE RAILS, OALLINULBS, AND COOTS. 93 



We have not at hand the required material for defining the 

 exact limits of the genus' Porsana, so far as its American repre- 

 sentatives are concerned. Without, therefore, considering any 

 of the extralimital species, it may suffice to say that of the 

 three which occur in North America, one {P. ca/rolina) is a very 

 near relative of the type of the genus {P. porscma of Europe), 

 while the other two are perhaps sufficiently different to justify 

 generic separation. The three species which occur in eastern 

 North America may be distinguished as follows: 



A. Above russet-olive, with blaok blotohes and irj-egular, partly longitudinal, streaks of 



white. (Porzana.) 



1 . P. oarolina. Neck and breast without white speoks ; throat blackish, and sides of 



head and neck plumbeous in adult; throat white, sides of head and neck, with 

 chestand breast, fulvous-olive, in young; flanks broadly barred with white and 

 slate-oolor. Wing, 4.15-4.30; eulmen, .75-.9U; tarsus, 1.25-1.35; middle toe, 1.30- 

 1.45. Hob. North a'nd Middle America. 



B. Above ooliraoeous, with broad blaok stripes and nai'row transverse white bars ; seo- 



. ondaries white, forming a conspicuous patch on the extended wing. (Ooturni- 

 cops.) 



2. P. noTeboraoensig. Head, neck, and breast oohraceous; flanks dusky, barred with 



whitish; crissum cinnamon; lining of wing and axillars white. Wing, 3.00-3.60; 

 eulmen, .50-.60; tarsus, .95-1.00; middle toe, .90-1.00. Rab. North America. 



C. Above blackish brown, speckled with white. {Greoiscus.) 



3. F, jamaioensiB. Nape dusky chestnut or sepia-brown; lower parts slate-oolor or 



dark plumbeous (the throat sometimes whitish), the posterior portions narrowly 

 barred with white. Wing, 2.50-8.20; oulmen, .50-.60; tar-sus, .75-90; middle toe, 

 .85-.95. Hah. Temperate and tropical America. 



Forzana Carolina (Linn.) 



SOBA. 



Popular synonyms. Sora Eail; Carolina Bail; Common Bail; Ortolan (Potomac Kiver). 

 Rallus caroUnus Linn. S. N. ed. 10, i, 1758, 153; ed. 12. i, 1766, 263.-8W. & EiCH. F. B.-A. 

 ii, 1831,403.— AUD. Orn. Biog. iii, lSi35, 251; v, 1839, 572, pi. 233. 

 Ballus (Crei) caroUnus Bonap. Obs. Wils. 1825, No. 230.— Nutt. Man. ii, 1834, 209. 

 Ortygometra Carolina Bonap. List, 1838, 53.— Aud. Synop. 1839, 213; B. Am. v, 1842, 145, 



pi. 306. 

 Forzana Carolina Cass, in Baird's B. N. Am. 1858, 749.— Baibd, Oat. N. Am. B. No. 

 555.-ConBS. Key. 1872, 273; Check List, 1873, No. 468; 2d ed. 1882, No. 679; Birds 

 N. W. 1874, 538.-B1DGW. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, No. 574; Man. N. Am. B., 1887, 139.- 

 A. O. U., Check List, 1886, No. 214. 

 Hab. The whole of temperate North America, but most common in the Eastern Prov- 

 ince; West Indies in general; whole of Middle America, south to Colombia and Venezuela; 

 accidental in Greenland and Europe; Bermudas (numerous in migrations). Breeds chiefly 

 in the northern parts of its range. 



