104 



North American Birds Eggs. 



211. Clapper Rail. Eallns crepitans. 



Ranse. — Salt marslies of the Atlantic coast from southern New Enghuul 

 southward. 



A grayish colored Rail, ahout the size 

 of, and with the markings similar to those 

 of the King Rail. It is as exclusively a 

 salt water species as the King Rail is a 

 fresh water one. With the possible ex- 

 ception of the Carolina or Sora Rail, this 

 is the most alnmdant of all the Rails, 

 hundreds nesting in a single marsh on 

 the South Atlantic coast. Their nests are 

 l)uilt of rushes and weeds, and are placed 

 on the ground either in the tall grass 

 bordering the marshes or attached to the 

 rushes in the midst of the marsh. The 

 nesting season commences during April 

 and continues through May. They lay from six to fourteen eggs, of a buff 

 color spotted irregularly with brown and gray. Size l.TtVx 1.20. 



[Buff.] 



>^&L 



21 la. Louisiana Clapper Rail. Ballus crcpitdiis mturatiis. 



The habitation of this subspecies is limited to the coast of Louisiana. It is 

 very similar to the preceding but is said to be brighter in plumage. 



2 I I b. Scott Clapper Rail. Rallus crepitans srotti. 

 Range. — Western coast of Florida. 

 This bird is also similar to rrepiteins but is much darker and brigliter. 



2 I I c. Wayne Clapper Rail. Eallus crepitans waynei. 



Range. — South Atlantic coast from North Carolina to Florida. 



This subspecies is a little darker than crepitans, being about midway between 

 that species and Rallus scatti. The nests and eggs of any of these subspecies 

 cannot be distinguished from those of the common Clapper Rail. 



2 1 1.2. Caribbean Clapper Rail. Rallus lungirostris caribous. 



Range. — West Indies and east coast of Mexico, north to southern Texas. 

 This species is similar to the Clapper, but has a shorter and relatively stouter bill. 



212. Virginia Rail. Rallus rirginianus. 



Range. — Temperate North America, breeding from 

 the Middle States and California, northward to Brit- ■''^ 



ish Columliia ami Labrador, and wintering along the ', -. - . 



-Gulf coa^^t: most abundant in the east. 



A small Rail, 9 inches long, very similar in mark- 

 ings and coloration to the King Rail. It is found 

 chiefly in fresh water swamps, where it builds its 

 nests in tufts of rushes. The eggs number from six 

 to fourteen, and are creamv white, or white, specked 

 with reddish brown. Size 1.25 x .90. Data.— Fight- [Creamy white.] 



ing Island, Detroit River, Michigan, May 30, 1804. Nest made of marsh grass, 

 in rushes, 6 inches above the water. Collector, E. Leroy King. 



