26 WITH THE U. S. NATURALISTS 



o'-War Bird, the greatest of all flyers. Although 

 this powerful bird possesses wings with an eight- 

 foot spread and only a small body to lift therewith, 

 he also lives by stealing. Boobies and Gannets are 

 his slaves and he forces them to disgorge their 

 catch, though, on occasion, he is able to labor hon- 

 estly for himself and catch flying-fish or similar 

 prey which has leaped out of the water. 



Taking note of the Bald Eagle returning to his 

 eyrie and the Fish-Hawk disappointedly winging 

 his way back to the fishing-grounds, Shan turned 

 into the faint track through the marshes toward 

 the pine ridge of which his uncle had spoken. 



The ''Clap!" "Clap!" ''Clap!" of a Rail 

 reached his ears, as he passed through the marshy 

 grasses, and Shan peered here and there in the 

 hope of mnning sight of the bird. He had little 

 hope of doing more than see it, for the Clapper 

 Eail, as he knew, is almost impossible to catch, 

 possessing, as it does, a network of low runways 

 made in the reeds, along which it scoots and dodges 

 at an astounding speed. 



The boy was eager to stop and hunt for the nest, 

 for the cry was on a slightly different note from 

 that with which he was familiar, and the unseen 

 bird might belong to a species of which his egg 



