RALLIDJE — THE RAILS — PORZANA. 
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Porzana noveboracensis. 
THE LITTLE YELLOW RAIL. 
Fulica noveboracensis, Gmel. S. N. I. ii. 1788, 701. 
Ortygometra noveboracensis, Stephens, Shaw’s Gen. Zool. XII. 1824, 222. — Aitd. Synop. 1839, 213 ; 
B. Am. Y. 1842, 152, pi. 307. 
Rallus noveboracensis, Bonap. Specc. Comp. 1827, 212 ; Am. Orn. IY. 1832, 136, pi. 27, fig. 2. — 
Nutt. Man. II. 1834, 215. — Sw. & Rich. F. B. A. II. 1831, 402. — Aud. Orn. Biog. IV. 1838, 
251, pi. 329. 
Porzana noveboracensis, Cass, in Baird’s B. N. Am. 1858, 750. — Baied, Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, no. 
557. — Coues, Key, 1872, 274 ; Check List, 1873, no. 469 ; 2d ed. 1882, no. 680 ; Birds N. W. 
1874, 539. — Ridgw. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 575. 
Perdix Hudsonica, Lath. Ind. Orn. II. 1790, 655. 
Rallies ruficollis, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. XXVIII. 1819, 556; Gal. Ois. 1834, 168, pi. 266. 
“ Porzana j a maicens is (?) ” (error), Ridgw. Orn. 40th Par. Exp. 1877, 613 (Nevada and Utah). 1 
Hab. Eastern North America, north to Hudson’s Bay, and Nova Scotia, west to Utah and 
Nevada. No extralimital record except Cuba and the Bermudas. 
Sp. Char. Adult: Yellowish ochraceous, very glossy above, where broadly striped with black, 
the black intersected by narrow bars of white : belly whitish ; flanks dusky, narrowly barred with 
white ; crissum light cinnamon ; axillars, lining of wing, and exposed portion of secondaries, white. 
“ Bill greenish black, with the base dull yellowish orange ; iris hazel ; feet and claws light flesh- 
color” (Audubon). Total length, about 6.00 inches; wing, 3.00-3.50 ; culmen, .50-.55 ; tarsus, 
.90-1.00 ; middle toe, .90. 
There is a considerable range of individual variation, both in size and markings, even among 
specimens from the same locality. 
The specific habits and distribution of this bird are imperfectly known. It has 
been found in various localities along the Atlantic coast as far to the eastward as 
New Brunswick, it is known to breed in Northern Illinois, where its nests and eggs 
have been taken, and it also occurs on the Pacific coast, probably in at least equal 
abundance. As it is also found in Southwestern Texas, we naturally infer that it 
has a very general distribution over the entire United States, from the Gulf shore to 
Canada, and probably farther north, and from the eastern to the western coasts. 
That it is anywhere abundant cannot be positively stated, although it might be so, 
since its small size and skulking habits might prevent its being seen, even when 
present in considerable numbers. 
Mr. Dresser was informed by Dr. Heermann that this bird is not uncommon at 
Mitchell’s Lake, near San Antonio. As when the former visited that locality the 
1 The small Rail referred, with great hesitation, by Mr. Ridgvvay to P. jamaicensis, in his “Ornithol- 
ogy of the Fortieth Parallel,” p. 613, was undoubtedly this species, which is the only one showing white 
along the hinder margin of the wing — a peculiarity noted in the birds observed. The apparently 
“blackish color” was due to imperfect opportunity of observation. 
