REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 07 
Sora; Carolina Rail; Common Crake — ( Porzana Carolina ). 
A common, short-tailed, short-billed, long-legged, olive-brown marsh bird or 
rail, with many white lines and dashes on the back and wings. The under parts 
are slaty-gray, changing to white near the tail, the flanks being barred with 
black and white. The feathers of the back have darker centers and lighter edges. 
Breeds in temperate North America, from northern United States northward. 
Winters southward to West Indies, middle America and nothern South America. 
Abundant transient on the marshes of the Delaware and other large streams. 
Yellow Rail —(Porzana noveboracensis ). 
A rare, very shy, small, short-billed, much mottled, brownish-yellow rail, with 
the under parts much lighter and less blotched than the back. The feathers of 
the back have almost black centers, ochraceous buff borders and more or less 
of white bars. The sides are barred with dark and white, and the middle of 
the belly is almost pure white. Its notes have been compared to those of the 
frogs. 
Breeds in northern United States to Novia Scotia. Winters southward to 
Cuba. Rare transient. 
Black Rail; Little Black Crake —(Porzana jamaicensis ). 
A rare, very small, short-billed, very dark-colored, somewhat speckled rail. 
Its general color is brownish-black, and the markings are mainly white. There 
is some reddish-brown on the back neck and slate-color on the head and breast. 
Breeds in southern United States to Massachusetts. Winters southward to 
West Indies. Rare transient, apparently rarer than the preceding. Formerly it 
is said to have bred in Cape May county, N. J. 
Corn Crake —(Crex crex ). 
A large, old world, short-billed, brownish-buff rail, with much of brownish- 
red on the wings. The feathers of the back have almost black centers, the sides 
are barred with white and the middle of the belly is wholly white. 
Breeds in northern parts of Eastern Hemisphere. Very rare straggler from 
Europe. Has been found in New Jersey. 
Purple Gallinui.e —(Ionornis martinica ). 
A short-tailed, long-legged, brilliantly purplish-blue, chicken-like marsh bird, 
with very long toes, enabling it to walk on the floating leaves. The back itself 
is a shining olive-green, the under tail coverts white, bill with much red and the 
legs yellow. 
Breeds in tropical and warm temperate America. Very rare straggler fiom 
the south. 
Florida Gallinut.e —(Gallinula galeata ). 
A common, southern, dark slate-colored, chicken-like marsh bird, with long 
toes like the last species. The front half of the bird is nearly black and the 
rest brownish, except the white under tail coverts, edge of wing and streaks 
on the flanks. 
Breeds in New England and British America. Winters in tropical America. 
Regular transient but not very common. 
