272 BULLETIN 135, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



of which the mussel is the unyielding nucleus. The bivalve apparently never 

 releases its hold, and even in death, which must soon occur, does not relax its 

 deathly grasp upon its victim. In one instance at least, a bird was seized by 

 the bill, and although it was able to wrest the bivalve free from its anchorage, 

 the creature had closed upon its beak with such a grip that the bird was un- 

 able to get food, and was found in a famished and attenuated condition. This 

 specimen Mr. Littlejohn has in his collection, a mute reminder of one knows not 

 how many scores of similar tragedies. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — X nonmigratory species, inhabiting the coast region of 

 California from Humboldt Bay south to Monterey Bay. At present 

 restricted largely to the region of San Francisco Bay (Potaluma. 

 Tomales Bay, Alameda, Haywards, San Mateo. Redwood City, and 

 Menlo Park) and Monterey Bay (Elkhorn). Accidental on th<^ 

 Farallon Islands. 



Egg dates. — California: 107 records, April 1 to July 13; 54 records. 

 April 10 to 25. 



RALLUS LEVIPES Bangs 

 LIGHT-FOOTED RAIL 



HABITS 



For many years the clapper rails of the coastal marshes of Cali- 

 fornia and northern Lower California were all supposed to be one 

 species, Rallus obsoletuSj until Outram Bangs (1899) separated the 

 southern bird as a distinct species and named it Rallu^s levipes. It 

 is similiar to obsoletus, but is slightly smaller, the back is darker and 

 more olive in tone, the breast is a richer tone of cinnamon and there 

 is a whitish, instead of a rusty stripe from the bill over the eye. 

 Grinnell, Bryant, and Storer (1918) suggest that "it might be consid- 

 ered merel}'- a southern race of ' obsoletus. ' Neither of them is migra- 

 tory, and there is a strip of coast nearly 200 miles in extent between 

 the southern limit of the California clapper rail and the northernmost 

 station for the light-footed rail." TIk^v also observe that "there are no 

 essential differences in the general habits of the two species. The 

 light-footed rail, however, has been found breeding in an inland 

 brackish marsh though, to be sure, this was not far from the seacoast." 



Nesting. — W. Lee Chambers has sent me the following notes: 



On April 13th 1917, I visited a salt-water marsh near Long Beach, Calif., 

 and found an island fairly well inhabited by the light-footed rail. This was the 

 only piece of land not used in cattle grazing, and was probably because of its 

 being so low and not large enough to be of any grazing value. The total area 

 was approximately five acres and in any kind of a storm it must have been com- 

 pletely covered by water. On this date I noticed three sets with eight eggs in 

 each, one nest with two eggs and another nest which had just been finished and 

 about ready for eggs. One fresh egg was found washed up on the beach. The 

 island was practically covered with salicornia and the birds would waddle over 

 this grass in their search for food, forming rcgiilir well-defined trails leading to 



