The Sora Rail 



Mackenzie, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Winters south from northern California, 

 Illinois, and South Carolina through middle America to Venezuela, Colombia, and 

 Ecuador. Of the widest occurrence during migrations. 



Distribution in California. — Common summer resident, chiefly in fresh water 

 marshes throughout the State. Also common in winter in fresh or brackish marshes 

 west of the Sierras, north (at least) to Butte County. Widely dispersed during migra- 

 tions. 



Authorities. — Cassin (Porzana Carolina), in Baird, Rep. Pac. R. R. Surv., vol. 

 ix., 1858, p. 749 (Colorado River; San Diego); Shufeldt, Jour. Comp. Medicine and Sur- 

 gery, July, 1888 (16 pp.), 7 figs, (osteology); Ray, Condor, vol. xv., 1913, p. 1 1 1 (Lake 

 Tahoe; desc. and photos of nest and eggs). 



"AS THIN as a rail" does not refer to the Lincoln variety of split 

 trees, but to this bird and its congeners. The birds are bilaterally com- 

 pressed in order to enable them to slip readily between the close-set stalks 

 of vegetation. And this they do with almost incredible rapidity, and with- 

 out leaving a wake of motion by which they may be traced. 



Like the California Clapper Rail, the Sora rises to a dog; or if caught 

 feeding inshore some little 

 way from his watery fast- 

 nesses, he flits over the tops 

 of the reeds, drops down sud- 

 denly, and loses himself im- 

 mediately in the maze. It 

 is idle to follow him when 

 alarmed, for he will not rise 

 again save under exceptional 

 circumstances. Immense 

 numbers of these birds used 

 to be slaughtered yearly, es- 

 pecially along the Atlantic 

 Coast. They have this at 

 least to recommend them, — 

 that they are easy practice 

 for juvenile hunters. They 

 afford less meat, however, 

 than so many English Spar- 

 rows, and qualms of con- 

 science make poor sauce. 



Though rightly counted 

 shy, the Sora possesses one 

 trait which brings it into 

 frequent notice — curiosity. Taken near Santa Barbara 



^ J STOP! LOOK! LISTEN! 



Photo by the Author 



I54 1 



