326 BULLETIN 135, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



CRECISCUS JAMAICENSIS (Gmelin) 

 BLACK RAIL 



HABITS 



Although the Uttle black rail was discovered in Jamaica in 1760 

 and received its scientific name in 1788, it was not discovered in the 

 United States until 1836, when Audubon (1840) described and figured 

 it from specimens given him by Titian R. Peale. Practically nothing 

 was known about its distribution and habits in North America for 

 100 years after its discovery in Jamaica. For a full account of the 

 early history of this species 1 would refer the reader to Dr. J. A. 

 Allen's (1900) interesting paper, in which is told about all that was 

 known about it up to that time. Much has been learned about it 

 since and many of its nests have been found, but its distribution and 

 life history are still imperfectly known and specimens of the bird 

 are still rare in collections. Owing to its secretive habits, it is seldom 

 seen, and it is probably much commoner and more widely distributed 

 than is generally supposed. William Brewster's (1901) interesting 

 paper on the "Kicker" furnishes some food for thought and some 

 suggestions for solving ' ' an ornithological mystery. ' ' I have no doubt 

 that the black rail breeds in some of the marshes of southeastern 

 Massachusetts; in fact, a nest is said to have been found in Chatham; 

 but though I have explored many miles of marshes and spent many 

 hours in the search, I have never seen a trace of this elusive little 

 bird. 



Nesting. — Dr. E. W. Nelson (1877) was the fii^t to discover and 

 describe a nest of the little black rail in the United States, of which 

 he writes: 



During the spring of 1875 I saw three specimens in the Calumet Marshes. 

 The first was observed early in May. On the 19th of June, the same season, 

 while collecting with me near the Calumet River, Frank DeWitt, of Chicago, was 

 fortunate enough to discover a nest of this species containing 10 freshly laid eggs. 

 The nest was placed in a deep cup-shaped depression in a perfectly open situation 

 on the border of a marshy spot, and its only concealment was such as a few 

 straggling carices afforded. It is composed of soft grass blades loosely interwoven 

 in a circular manner. The nest, in shape and construction, looks much like that 

 of a meadow lark. The following are its dimensions in inches: Inside depth, 

 2.50; Inside diameter, 3.25; outside depth, 3.50; outside diameter, 4.50. 



Next came the discovery of two nests in Connecticut, near Say- 

 brook, by Judge John N. Clark (18S4). The first nest was brought 

 to him by a neighbor, who had decapitated the rail on her nest and 

 9 eggs while mowing in a meadow. Of the second nest he says: 



On the 6th of June, 1844. 1 made a trip to "Great Island" — atract of salt meadow 

 near the mouth of the Connecticut River, on its eastern shore — in search of nests of 

 Ammodrami which abound in that locality. During a very successful hunt for 

 them I observed a tuft of gi-een grass carefully woven and interlaced together 



