. 82 
RAILS, GALLINULES, AND COOTS 
In the wild rice fields, I have frequently watched them walking 
daintily over the leaves and floating stems, swimming across the nar¬ 
row channels where they could not wade, and running in and out of 
the thousand little trails that lead about under the grass ; and have 
often clapped my hands to hear them answer back with their mock¬ 
ing, cackling laugh. Vernon Bailey. 
Subgenus Coturnicops. 
215. Porzana noveboracensis ( Gmel .). Yellow Rail. 
Upper parts dark buff, mottled with brown and black, feathers of back 
narrowly tipped with white in wavy cross-lines; wing 
dusky, with large white patch on secondaries; throat 
and breast plain buff or brownish; middle of belly 
whitish. Length : 6.00-7.75, wing 3.00-3.60, bill 
Fig. 92. .50-.60, tarsus .80-100. 
Distribution. — North America from Hudson Bay and Nova Scotia south 
to Cuba, and west to Nevada and California. 
Nest. — In marsh, made of dry grass. Eggs: 6 to 10, creamy buff, finely 
specked with rusty brown. 
In habits the yellow rail is much like the Carolina, but may readily 
be distinguished from it even on the wing by its smaller size and 
white wing patch. It is never a common bird. 
Subgenus Creciscus. 
216. Porzana jamaicensis (Gmel.). Black Rail. 
Adults. — Back and wings brownish black, finely dotted with white; 
shoulders dark rich chestnut; breast, throat, 
and sides of head deep plumbeous, shading to 
black on crown; flanks and ventral region 
specked and barred with white. Young: simi¬ 
lar to adults but with grayish breast, whitish 
throat, and brownish crown. Length : 5-6, wing 2.50-3.20, bill .50-.60 
tarsus .85-90. 
Distribution. — From Oregon, Nebraska, and Massachusetts south through 
the West Indies and the greater part of South America. 
Fig. 93. 
216.1. Porzana coturniculus ( Ridgw .). Farallone Rail. 
Size and general characters of jamaicensis , but back without white mark¬ 
ings. 
Known only from the type specimen from the Farallone Islands. 
GENUS GALLINULA. 
219. Gallinula galeata (Licht.). Florida Gallinule. 
Toes long and slender, not lobed ; bill slender and sharp, nearly as long 
as head ; frontal shield extend¬ 
ing from bill to crown, widest 
posteriorly ; bill and shield 
bright red. Adults in summer : 
dark slaty or plumbeous, washed 
Fig. 94. 
