6io THE CALIFORNIA RAIL. 



No. 242. 

 CALIFORNIA BLACK RAIL. 



A. O. L'. No. 216. 1. Creciscus coturniculiis Ri(lf,'\v. 



Description. — .Idiilt: Head, breast, and upper Ijelly IjlacUish slate, darker 

 on cruwn ; a larye jiatch nn hind-neck dark cliestnnl ; remaining phiiiiage brownish 

 black: bill black. I miiiatitrc : Similar to adult but lighter on breast, whitening 

 on throat, shaded with chestnut on hind-crown. Dozviiy yonng: "Entirely 

 bluish black." Length 5.00-6.00 ( 127-152. 4) ; wing 2.70 (68.6) ; tail 1.23 (31.2) ; 

 bill .^j I 1.45 I ; tarsus .y& ( 19.8) : middle toe and claw .95 (24.1 ). 



Recognition Marks. — Warbler size, but appearing Sparrow size. Marsh- 

 haunting habits; diminutive size and dark coloration distinctive. 



Nesting. — Not known to breed in Washington, but probably does so. Xcst: 

 of the finer grasses lining a cup-shaped depression in grtnmd of marsh. Eggs: 

 9-10, white or creamy white, sparingly sprinkled with dots of reddish lirown, 

 more lieavily aljout the larger end. Av. size, l.oox.80 (25.4x20.3). 



General Range. — Pacific Coast district north to W'ashington. 



Range in Washington. — Summer resident, ]ir(ibablv on both sides of Cas- 

 cades. .\ lay record from Sprague. 



Authority. — Porcaua jainaicciisis, Bowles, Auk, \ dl. Will., April 1906, 

 p. 141. 



"ABOUT as difficult tn cibser\e as a field mouse," said Mr. Cliapnian in 

 sjieaking of the eastern bird. The coniparison is very modest, iov most of us 

 have seen field mice. This Ijird is so tinv as contrasted with the sedge forests 

 of its home, ample slielter fur Cools and Bitterns, that we feel sure Dame 

 Nature must have laughed as she set this "little Partriilge" in the grass and 

 bade him hide, as he valued his life. 



The l\'i)e specimen of C. Cdtiirnioihis was taken on the h*;irrallrines, 

 October 13, 185c), and this fi)r \ears remained iniique. ( )nl\- recently has 

 sufficient material come to hand to enable Mr. I'rewster to point out the 

 probability that this b'arallone specimen was a yoinig bird, distinguished by an 

 unusual amount of white spotting on the back, and to show that the Pacific 

 Coast birds are diflferentiated from eastern birds on other grounds'''. 



The Washington record is based ti]ion three specimens seen by Mr. 

 Bowdes in the Sotith Tacoma swamp on November 10, 1900. Each bird was 

 flushed once, flying low over the grass for but ,'i short distance before 

 plumping down out of sight. In spite of the fact that he had with him an 

 excellent bird-dog, it was im])ossible to flush any of them a second time. The 

 flight Mr. Bowles describes as being something between that of a wren and a 



a. The Auk. \'ol XXI\'., .\pril, 1907, p. 205.210. 



