Sora \So"ra\, n. (Zool.)
   A North American rail (Porzana Carolina) common in the
   Eastern United States. Its back is golden brown, varied with
   black and white, the front of the head and throat black, the
   breast and sides of the head and neck slate-colored. Called
   also American rail, Carolina rail, Carolina crake,
   common rail, sora rail, soree, meadow chicken, and
   orto.
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   King sora, the Florida gallinule.
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Ortolan \Or"to*lan\, n. [F., fr. It. ortolano ortolan, gardener,
   fr. L. hortulanus gardener, fr. hortulus, dim. of hortus
   garden. So called because it frequents the hedges of gardens.
   See Yard an inclosure, and cf. Hortulan.] (Zool.)
   (a) A European singing bird (Emberiza hortulana), about the
       size of the lark, with black wings. It is esteemed
       delicious food when fattened. Called also bunting.
   (b) In England, the wheatear (Saxicola oenanthe).
   (c) In America, the sora, or Carolina rail (Porzana
       Carolina). See Sora.
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Rail \Rail\, n. [F. r[^a]le, fr. r[^a]ler to have a rattling in
   the throat; of German origin, and akin to E. rattle. See
   Rattle, v.] (Zool.)
   Any one of numerous species of limicoline birds of the family
   Rallidae, especially those of the genus Rallus, and of
   closely allied genera. They are prized as game birds.
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   Note: The common European water rail (Rallus aquaticus) is
         called also bilcock, skitty coot, and brook
         runner. The best known American species are the
         clapper rail, or salt-marsh hen (Rallus longirostris,
         var. crepitans); the king, or red-breasted, rail
         (Rallus elegans) (called also fresh-water
         marshhen); the lesser clapper, or Virginia, rail
         (Rallus Virginianus); and the Carolina, or sora, rail
         (Porzana Carolina). See Sora.
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   Land rail (Zool.), the corncrake.
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