RAILS, GALLINULES, AND COOTS 81 
to Guatemala and Cuba, breeding over most of the United States and 
southern Canada. 
Nest. — In marsh, under shelter of tall grass, composed of dry &i -ass. 
Eggs: 6 to 10, creamy white, spotted with brown and lilac. 
The Virginia rail is common in almost all suitable marshes, whether 
salt or fresh, throughout the United States, but like all of its short* 
winged kina it prefers a game of hide and seek to laborious flight, 
and is more often heard than seen. If you try to tramp one out of 
the marsh it will cackle and laugh on the right and then on the left 
of you, without ever showing itself; but if you sit quietly on the 
bank of a grassy, reedy pond or stream where one lives, it will soon 
come peeking and peering at you between the stems. 
Vernon Bailey. 
GENUS PORZANA. 
General Characters. — Bill decidedly shorter than tarsus; sexes similar. 
KEY TO SPECIES. 
1. Back with narrow white streaks. 
2. Back streaked longitudinally with white . . . Carolina, p. 81. 
2'. Back cross-lined with white. noveboracensis, p. 82. 
1'. Back without white streaks. 
2. Back finely dotted with white. jamaicensis, p. 82. 
2'. Back without white markings. coturniculus, p. 82. 
Subgenus Porzana. 
214. Porzana Carolina (Linn.). Carolina Rail: Sora. 
Adults. — Upper parts olive brown, spotted with black and finely lined 
with white ; middle of crown, face, and throat black ; breast 
and cheeks bluish gray, sides barred black and white ; belly 
> whitish; middle of lower tail coverts buff. Immature: simi¬ 
lar to adult but without black face or bluish gray breast. 
Length: 7.85-9.75, wing 4.15-4.30, bill .75-.90, tarsus 1.25- 
1.35. 
Distribution. — Temperate North America from Hudson 
Bay and British Columbia south to northern South America, 
breeding over most of its United States and Canadian range. 
Nest. — Usually on tussock in marsh, made of dry grasses 
Eggs: usually 7 to 10, but sometimes 14 to 16, grayish olive, 
Fig. 91. 
or sedges. 
spotted with reddish brown and purplish. 
Carolina rails are the commonest of their family over the eastern 
and middle United States, or at least, being more commonly meadow 
birds, are oftener seen than the other species; but in the west they 
are less common than the Virginia rail. To avoid flying, when their 
field is being mowed they will often stay in the fast narrowing strip 
of grass until they must go or meet the sharp teeth of the sickle, 
when perhaps a dozen will rise one after another and fly to fresh 
cover. 
