49 Miscellaneous Circular 13, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. 
VERNACULAR NAMES. 
In general use.—Marsh-hen. ier 
In local use.—Clapper rail (Long Id., N. Y., Miss.); creeper (Fla.); mangrove rail 
(Fla.); marsh-sweater (Va.); meadow-hen (Conn., Long Id., N. Y., Va.); merl-hen 
(S. C.); mud-hen (N. Y., N.J., Va., 8. C.); prairie-hen, rale (La.); salt-water marsh- 
hen (Long Id., N. Y., Md.,8. C., La., Tex.); salt-water mud-hen (Del., Md.); sedge- 
hen (sometimes pronounced sage-hen) (Md., Va.). 
Geographic andex.—Conn., meadow-hen; Del., salt-water mud-hen; Fia., creeper, 
mangrove rail; Za., prairie-hen, rale, salt-water marsh-hen; Md., salt-water marsh- 
hen, salt-water mud-hen, sedge-hen; Miss., clapper rail; N. J., mud-hen; NV. Y., 
clapper rail, meadow-hen, mud-hen, salt-water marsh-hen; S. C., merl-hen, mud- 
hen, salt-water marsh-hen; Tev., salt-water marsh-hen; Va., marsh-sweater, meadow- 
hen, mud-hen, sedge-hen. 
BOOK NAMES. 
Big rail, Caribbean clapper rail, common clapper, marsh clapper, meadow clapper, 
rale d’eau salé (salt-water rail), rale tapageur (noisy rail), salt-marsh hen, salt-water 
meadow-hen. 
212. Virginia Rail (Rallus virginianus). (Fie. 33.) 
Range.—North America. Breeds from British Columbia, southern Saskatchewan, southern Keewatin 
(N. W. T.), Ontario, southern Quebec, and New Brunswick south to southern California, Utah, Kansas, 
Missouri, Illinois, New Jersey, and eastern North Carolina, and in Toluca Valley, Mexico; winters from 
Oregon, Utah, and Colorado to Lower California and Guatemala, alsoin thelower Mississippi States, and 
from North Carolina (casually Massachusetts) to Florida; occurs casually north to northern Quebec and 
Newfoundland. 
FIG. 33.—Virginia Rail. 
VERNACULAR NAMES. 
In general use.—Rail. 
In local use-—Bull (La.); coot (S. C.); didapper (Ark.); fresh-water marsh-hen 
(Long Id., N. Y.); fresh-water mud-hen (Long Id., N. Y., N. J.); king ortolan (Md.); 
little mud-hen (Long Id., N. Y.); little red rail (Va.); long-billed rail (Mass.); marsh- 
hen (Md.); mud-hen (N. Y.); rail-bird (N. J., Pa.); red rail (N. J., Pa., Del.); single 
rail (N. C.); sweet-water rail (Calif.). 
Geographic index.—Ark., didapper; Calif., sweet-water rail; Del., red rail; Za., bull; 
Md., king ortolan, marsh-hen; Mass., long-billed rail; N. J., fresh-water mud-hen, 
rail-bird, red rail; NV. Y., fresh-water marsh-hen, fresh-water mud-hen, little mud-hen, 
mud-hen; JN. C., single rail: Pa., rail-bird, red rail; S. C., coot: Va., little red-rail. 
BOOK NAMES. 
American water-rail, lesser clapper rail, fresh-marsh hen, little king rail, little 
marsh hen, little red-breasted rail, rale de Virginie (Virginia rail), reed-bird, small 
mud-hen. water-hen. 
