94 RAILS AND COOT. generally distributed species being our Sora or Carolina Kail, so well known to sportsmen. This bird passes g^jj.^ us in the spring in April and nests from Porzana Carolina. Massachusetts northward. It returns Plate VII. ^j^ August and lingers in our wild-rice marshes until October. During the nesting season it has two calls — a whistled, her-wee, and a high, rolling whinny. In the fall it utters a kiik or peejj when dis- turbed. There is no sexual diiference in color in this species, but birds of the year lack the black about the base of the bill and on the throat, and have the breast washed with cinnamon. Our other species of Rail are the King, Yellow, and Little Black Rail, all of which are rare ; the Virginia Rail, Clapper Bail which is more common, and the Clap- Eaiius crepitans. per Rail or Marsh Hen, an abundant Plate VIII. species in some of the salt marshes along our coasts from Long Island southward. It is a noisy bird with a peculiar cacklmg call which it utters in a way that suggests the sound produced by some auto- matic toys. Its nest is made of dried grasses, the surrounding marsh grass being slightly arched over it. Eight to twelve buffy, speckled eggs are laid, a number which, in connection with the abundance of the bird, has led to the persistent robbing of its nests by men who sell the eggs for food. As a result of this practice the birds have greatly decreased in numbers during recent years. The Coot, Mud-hen, or Crow-duck differs from the Rails in having lobed toes (see Fig. 12) and in bemg American Coot, "^^re aquatic. In fact, it is more like Fuiica americana. a Duck in habits than like a Rail, but Plate VIII. ^^g pointed, white-tipped biU will pre- vent its being mistaken for one.
