144 RAILS. GALLINULES, AND (‘00TS.

The SPUT'I‘F.“ CHAN:t2]a‘.1’or:ami pm-:unu)~an Old World representa— tive of our Som;is reeorded as “ oeeasional in Greenland."

215. Porzana noveboracensis ( Gun/J. YEme Rm- (See Fig. ‘22. ’7.) .lL/.i[jl‘l‘Ul‘ parts blaelt. the feathers bordered with oehI'aeeous—hnti and with from one to three narrow white bars: breast oelirzu-eous-butf; mid— dle ot‘ the belly white: sides and lower belly hlaek or brownish, barred with white. 11.. 7'00; “1. 2H”: Tutu. 'tL"); B,

1t’ng/e.—" Eastern North Ameriea troin Nova Seotia and Hudson Bay west to LTtah and Nevada: no e.\tralintital reeord exeept Cuba and the Ber- mudas ” (A. (i. l'J.

Washington. rare T. \'., .\leh. and Net. Long Island, uneonunon T. V. Cambridge, rare T. \'.. Apl. and May; ()et. and Nov.

Amt. on the ground in grassy marshes. [Em/s. six or more. creamy butt",

densely sprinkled and speeltled on larger end with rusty brown, 1‘]: x '53 th’idgwn.

This little Rail inhabits marshes with others of its family. With them it seems to know that it can es -ape its enemies much more easily by hiding,r in the tangled grasses of its home than by taking wing. and it flies only to avoid aetual eapture. It can be hunted successfully, therefore. only with dogs.

Nuttall des ‘ibes its notes as " an abrupt and tackling cry. ’Irrt‘k. ’krM, '/.'re/.‘. Var/r, ‘lru/r. 751.71." and compares them to the eroaking of the tree frog.

216. Porzana. jamaicensis (Hun-M. LITTLE BLAH; RAIL. Ari.— iiead. breast, and upper belly slateseolor; lower belly. baek. and wings brownish black. barred or spotted with white; nape dark reddish brown. L., mi"): \V., 22w; Tan. *0: 1%., 'tiO.

[Kenya—J'l‘emperate North Amerie:. north to Massachusetts, northern Illinois. and Oregon; south to West Indies and in western South Ameriea to Chili“ (A. t). LII. Probably breeds throughout its North America range.

Washington. rare T. V several in Sept. Long Island. rare T. V.

dist. ot'grasses. on the .ground in marshes [ff/(Ix. ten. white. thinly sprin- kled with reddish brown dots. more numerous at the larger end, 1‘00 x '80 (Ni-ls<1it,Bttll.Ntttt. ()rn. Club. i. l‘Tli.1>.4ill.

This bird is about as diti‘teult to observe as a field mouse. It is said to prefer grassy meadows. where. like others of its family. it ne\'er flies when it ean escape by runningr or hiding. It is apparently not common. The only description of its notes I know of is given by Mr. March. of Jamaica. who, as quoted by Dr. Brewer, writes its call as "' eh[-c/t(Pero-r‘roo-m'on, several times repeated in sharp, high—toned notes, so as to be audible to a considerable distance.”

The CORN (hum: (”2/7. ('rznr New). a bird of Europe, and northern Asia, is casual in Greenland. Bermudas, and eastern North America. It is about the size ot'a Clapper Rail, but. has a hill no larger than that of the Sora. The