276 BULLETIN 135, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



behalf of the author's collection, resulted in the utterly unexpected capture of 

 three individuals of a distinct new species of clapper rail. 



For the characters on which the species is based he gives the 

 following : 



Nearest in appearance to certain examples of Rallus levipes, but instantly 

 separable from typical levipes by duller and more olivaceous outer superior wing- 

 coverts and alula, by paler coloration of underparts and more slender tarsus and 

 bill. 



The characters are rather slight on which to base a species, espe- 

 cially when ho admits that his — 



Own examination of 29 specimens of levipes has disclosed two individuals from 

 N'ational City, San Diego County, California, which superficially seem to bridge 

 the gap between these species both in measurements and in general coloration. 

 However, the outer superior wing-coverts and alula, even in these unusual spec- 

 imens, are distinctly brighter than the same areas in the three specimens of 

 yumanensis examined. 



It would seem as if a siibspecific designation might have been 

 wiser, in view of the smaU series examined and our very limited 

 knowlege of its distribution. He is justified in saying, however, that 

 '•it is interesting to note that we here have a true clapper rail inhab- 

 iting for the first recorded instance a purely fresh-water environ- 

 ment." 



Eggs. — Laurence M. Huey has sent me, for description in this work, 

 the only known egg of this rail, which was kindly loaned for this 

 purpose by Mrs. May Canfield. It was taken from the oviduct of a 

 bird, collected on May 27, 1921, by a boy named Edward Heiser, 

 and presented to Mrs. Canfield. The parent is one of the series on 

 which Mr. Dicke^^'s description was based. The egg resembles cer- 

 tain eggs of Rallus levipes in a general way. It is ovate in shape, 

 rounded at the small end; the shell is smooth and rather glossy. 

 The ground color is between "pale pinkish buff" and "cartridge 

 buff"; it is sparingly spotted, chiefly around the larger end, with 

 underlying drab spots, varying in color from "vinaceous drab" to 

 very "pale eciu drab," and a few small spots and dots of dark 

 browns, "chestnut brown" and "chocolate." It measures 41.8 by 

 28.8 millimeters. 



Behavior.- -Mr. Huey has sent me a little additional information, 

 as follows : 



On May 18, 1924, Mrs. May Canfield and I were collecting about a mile north 

 of Potholes, Imperial County, California, when suddenly the clacking of clapper 

 rails was heard in three different directions. At the time the Colorado River 

 was commencing to overflow its banks in the annual spring flood, and many low- 

 places were filling from the river and muddy streams were flowing through the 

 willow bottom in many directions. It was along these streams that the rails 

 were clacking. I pursued a pair of clacking birds whose voices seemed to issue 

 from a large pond nearby, while Mrs. Canfield followed another pair nearer the 



