77/ A* BIRDS OF WISCONSIN. 
39 
to 10, and moves southward after the first sharp frost, although 
belated individuals are sometimes found well into November. 
Formerly not molested by gunners, but has gradually come to 
be considered a game bird and large numbers are shot in the 
wild rice marshes from the first to the middle of September. 
Large numbers of their nests are destroyed by the rising of the 
water on their breeding grounds, and many of the migrating 
birds are killed by flying into buildings and wires; but with all 
this destruction the little sora seems to hold its own in numbers 
in a wonderful way. 
Porzana noTeboracensis (Qmel.)- YELLOW RAIL. 
Summer resident. This little rail is not nearly so rare as 
generally supposed, though by no means common. We have 
authentic records from Racine, Milwaukee, Elm Grove, 
Delavan, Janesville, Milton, etc., and even breeding records as 
far north as Brown County. There appears to be no record for 
the western part of the state, but this does not necessarily imply 
that the bird does not occur there. The note of this rail is not 
generally recognized by observers and owing to its retiring 
habits and the difficulty usually experienced in flushing it from 
the grass it is very seldom seen. 
Porzana jamaicensis (Gmel.). BLACK RAIL. 
Although Mr. Nelson (1) found this species breeding in 
northeastern Illinois and considered it of not very rare occur- 
ence, it seems to have almost entirely escaped the Wisconsin 
ornithologists as yet. In fact, the only record we are aware of 
is the following: August 20, 1877 (2), a marsh hawk was 
killed by Frithiof Kumlien from a muskrat house on the border 
of Lake Koshkonong. When noted first it was eating some- 
thing, and this proved to be a little black rail. We are quite 
sure of having seen it on one occasion, but the above is 
probably the only authentic record for the state as vet. 
Ionornis martinica (IAnn.). PURPLE GALLIMLE. 
Exceedingly rare straggler from the south. Most of the 
records obtainable are far from satisfactory, but the bird is 
without question entitled to a place in the Wisconsin list. 
Barry's list of 1854 says "a few breed here every season" 
(Racine) ; but inasmuch as the same list does not mention 
the following species we are inclined to think a mistake has 
1. Birds of N. E. III., p. 134, 1877. 
2. Possibly 1879, the last figure is badly blurred. 
