94 BIRDS OP ILLINOIS. 



,Sp. Chab. Adult: Above bright ollve-brown,, with longitudinal spots of black, some 

 of the feathers edged with white ; top of head with a long^longitudiual stripe of black ; ante- 

 rior portion of head, with chin and throat, black; sides of head and neck (except as de- 

 scribed), chest, and breast light plumbeous; abdomen white; anal region and crissum 

 creamy white or pale buff; flanks sharply barred with white and slate-color. Young: 

 Similar, but lores and superciliary stripe brownish, the chin and throat whitish; rest of 

 neck, with chest and breast, light brownish. Bill greenish yellow (more orange, espe- 

 ola:!y at base, in summer adults) ; iris brown; legs and feet greenish. "Downy stage— abia^ 

 a few days old: Bill short, exceedingly depressed, high at base, rapidly tapering, the tip 

 deflected. The whole body densely covered with dull black down, beyond which qre 

 produced abundant long, glossy, black hair-like filaments. Upon the throat is a tuft of stiff, 

 coarse bristle-Jike feathers of a bright orange-color. These are directed forward, and give 

 the bird a most singular appearance. (From a specimen in my cabinet collected at Cam- 

 bridge, Mass., June 24, 1874.) This bird, although the only specimen ofthe kind now at hand, 

 is one of a large brood which was attended by the female parent. Several of (he others 

 were distinctly seen and closely examined at the time. All had a similar orange tuft upon 

 the throat." [Bbewstee, in Bull. Nutt. Orn. Glub, January 1879, p. 48.] 



The most ^buncJant and most universal^ known bird of its 

 genus inhabiting the United States, and variously known .as 

 the "Rail," "Sora," or "Ortolan," according to locality. It is 

 especially numerous along the creeks and rivers on the Atlantic 

 during the autumnal migration, when excursions for obtaining 

 it are a favorite amusement of gunners and sportsmen. It 

 appears to inhabit the entire temperate regions of North 

 America. There is apparently little, if any, geographical varia- 

 tion noticeable in a large series of specimens, and the pi'ineipal 

 individual variation consists in the extent of the black on the 

 throat, which in some examples extends back as far as the middle 

 of the abdomen. 

 Mr. Nelson thus describes the nesting habits of the Sora-: 

 "Exceedingly abundant summer resident in all marshy situa- 

 tions. Arrives the first of May and departs in October. Nests 

 along the borders of .prairie sloughs and marshes, depositing 

 from eight to fourteen eggs. Their nest may often be discovered 

 at'a distance by the appearance of the Surrounding grass, the 

 blades of which are in many cases interwoven over the nest, 

 apparently to shield the bird from the fierce rays of the sun, 

 which are felt with redoubled force on the marshes. The nests 

 are sometimes built on a solitary tussock of grass, growing in 

 the water, but not often. The usual position is in the soft, 

 dense grass growing close to the edge of the slough, and rarely 

 in grass over eight inches high. The next is a thick matted 

 platform of marsh grasses, with a medium-sized depression for 

 the eggs." 



