36 BULLETIN 326, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTTJEE. 



mena ciliafa), fmibristylis, purslane (Portulaca oleracea), pigweed (Amaran- 

 thus sp. ) , cadillo altea {Triumfetta sp. ), and heliotrope (Heliotropium indicum). 

 A native living near some sloughs below Yabucoa charged these birds with 

 destroying and eating the gonduros (Cajanus cajan) in her garden, but I heard 

 no other complaint against them, and they may be considered harmless. 



PURPLE GALLLVULE. Ionornis martinicus (Linnseus). 



Gallaeeta Plataxera, Gallareta MartixiqueSa,, Gallareta., Dagareta. 



Gundlach (1S7S, p. 392) says that the purple gallinule was common in the 

 seventies and damaged rice by eating the grain and breaking down the stalks. 

 Taylor (1S64, p. 171) also found it very abundant in suitable localities, and 

 Sundevall (1869, p. 601) received seven specimens from Hjalmarson. Now, 

 however, these gallinules are rare, and the only recent record available is that 

 of Dr. C. W. Richmond (MS.), who saw one March 3, 1900, near Luquillo, 

 walking about on some mangrove roots. Gundlach (loc. cit.) says that they 

 build a nest like that of the Florida gallinule and lay from 6 to 10 eggs. 



BLACK RAIL. Creciscus jamaicensis (Gmelin). 

 Gallaretilla. 



The black rail was first recorded for Porto Rico by Gundlach (1881, p. 401) 

 from a bird taken by Stahl. The latter (1883, p. 63") considered it a rare vis- 

 itant, and says (1S87. p. 452) that it is found in swampy places and that young 

 were taken. Dr. Richmond (MS.) examined a specimen from Porto Rico in 

 the Stahl collection in San Juan, presumably the bird upon which the original 

 records are based. 



SORA, CAROLINA RAIL. Porzana Carolina (Linnseus). 

 Gallixuela, Gallareta de Ciexaga, Dagaretilla. 



The sora is a winter visitant (from October until April) and is found in 

 fresh-water swamps. I did not see the bird, but it is recorded by all the early 

 naturalists. The most recent record is that of Dr. C. TV. Richmond (MS.), 

 who examined one taken at Luquillo March 5, 1900. The bird is known to 

 many natives. 



YELLOW-BELLIED RAIL. Porzana flaviventris (Boddaert). 

 Gallaretilla. 



The yellow-bellied rail is a rare resident, formerly rather common. May 26 

 in the marshes at the head of the Laguna de Guanica two were flushed from 

 a growth of water plants bordering a small open pond about 2 feet deep. 

 They got up quickly, flew high and swiftly, for rails, and then dropped and 

 were lost in a dense growth of rushes. On July 23 two more, one an immature 

 bird, flew up from the water plants -fringing a small pond along the Bayamon 

 River near Bayamon and dropped over into the denser growth. Gundlach 

 (1878, p. 391) found them along the Rio Arecibo. These birds undoubtedly 

 occur in other localities, but from their retiring habits escape notice. They 

 appear to inhabit fresh-water marshes where the water is fairly deep, hiding 

 in the dense vegetation. They are too small to be considered as game birds, 

 even if their scarcity did not preclude hunting them systematically for sport. 



CARIBBEAN CLAPPER RAIL. RaUus longirostris caribceus Ridgway. 



POLLA DE LAGUXA, POLLA DE MAXGLE, POLLA DE MAXGLAR. 



The Caribbean clapper rail is apparently not found except on salt water. It 

 is a common species resident in the coastal region, occurring only in the wet 

 mangrove swamps bordering the bays and brackish lagoons. 



