304 BULLETIN 135, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



The water in these marshes no longer rises and falls with the tide and the only 

 connection with the river is through drain pipes under the streets; consequently 

 the water is more or less fresh. 



I discovered another nest of the Virginia rail on June 6, 1908, in a small marsh 

 bordering on Dyckman Street, with two baseball fields adjoining it on the east and 

 south. The nest was placed within 20 feet of the street where hundreds of 

 people as well as vehicles pass daily and large crowds often assemble to witness 

 the speedway trotting races or the baseball games. Yet the little mother rail 

 quietly sat on her 10 eggs, apparently unconcerned about the civilization around 

 her. Within an hour after finding the above nest, I discovered a nest of the 

 sora {Porzana Carolina), containing 14 eggs. The marsh in which this nest was 

 built is situated on the south side of Two hundred and seventh Street between 

 the foot of the new bridge across the Harlem River at this point and the Two 

 hundred and seventh Street subway station. The marsh is so close to the sub- 

 way station that some of the passengers noticed and watched me from the sta- 

 tion platform while I was floundering about among the rushes. Yet strangely 

 enough the noise of the numerous passing trains did not deter these shy birds 

 from nesting in such close proximity. 



Spring. — Audubon (1S40) throws some light on the spring migration 

 of the sora rail, which he describes in some detail, as follows : 



This bird, which I think might have been named the Pennsylvanian or Virgin- 

 ian rail, enters the Union from the shores of Mexico, early in March, when many 

 are to be seen in the markets of New Orleans. Some reach their northern des- 

 tination by ascending along the margins of our western streams, or by crossing 

 the country directly, in the manner of the woodcock; while those which proceed 

 along the coast shorten their journey as much as possible by flying across the 

 headlands of the numerous inlets or bays of our southern districts, retiring or 

 advancing more slowly according to the state of the weather. Thus, those which 

 cross the peninsula of Florida, through the marshes and lagoons that lead to the 

 headwaters of the St. Johns River, instead of traveling around the shores of 

 Georgia and South Carolina, fly directly across toward Cape Lookout. It is 

 nevertheless true, that a certain number of these birds follow the sinuosities 

 of the shores, for I found some in the markets of Charleston, in the month of 

 April, that had been killed in the immediate neighborhood of that city, and I 

 obtained others in various parts; but the number of these is very small compared 

 with that of those which cross at once. When their passage takes place, either 

 during calm weather or with a favorable wind, the fortunate travelers pursue 

 their journey by entering Pimlico Sound, and following the inner margins of the 

 outward banks of this part of the coast until they reach Cape Henry. From 

 thence some ascend the Chesapeake, while others make for the mouth of the 

 Delaware, and these perhaps again meet on the borders of Lake Ontario, 

 or the waters of the St. Lawrence, after which they soon enter those portions 

 of the country in which they breed, and spend a short but agreeable season. 



Nesting. — The nests that wo used to find in the Fresh Pond marshes, 

 and in other places in Massachusetts, were usually well hidden in the 

 dense growth of cat-tail flags ( Typha latifolia) where the water and 

 mud was quite deep, were generally well-made baskets of dead flags^ 

 built up a few inches above the water and supported by the sur- 

 rounding and growing flags, A nest found on Martha's Vineyard on 

 May 27, 1900, illustrates a more open type of nesting. It was near 



