NORTH AMERICAN MARSH BIRDS 327 



too artificially to be the work of nature. "Merely another Finch's nest," I mused, 

 as I carefully parted the green bower overhanging it. But wasn't there an ex- 

 tra and audible beat to my pulse when before my astonished gaze lay three beau- 

 tiful little black rail's eggs? Recovering from my surprise I carefully replaced 

 the disarranged curtain that excluded the sun from the precious eggs, fixed some 

 permanent ranges, and quietly departed to await the completion of the set. A 

 week later, on the 13th of June, I again visited the nest and found therein the 

 full complement of nine eggs. This nest was situated about 40 rods back from 

 the shore of the river, on the moist meadow, often overflowed by the spring tides. 

 The particular spot had not been mowed for several years, and the new grass, 

 springing up through the old, dry, accumulated growths of previous years, was 

 thick, short, and not over 8 or 10 inches in height — a fine place for rails to 

 glide unseen among its intricacies. The nest after the complement of eggs 

 were deposited in it resembled that of the common meadow lark, it consisting 

 of fine meadow grasses loosely put together, with a covering of the standing 

 grasses woven over it and a passage and entrance at one side. I must add an 

 account of my efforts to secure the little black rail with the set. I devoted 

 the wnole day to this special end, and visited the nest about every half hour through 

 the day, approaching it with every possible caution, and having a little tuft of 

 <30tton directy over the nest to indicate the exact spot; but although J tried from 

 every quarter with the utmost diUgence and watchfulness, T was never able to 

 obtain the slightest glimpse of the bird — never perceived the slightest quiver of the 

 surrounding grass to mark her movements as she glided away, and yet I found 

 the eggs warm every time, indicating that she had but just left them. 



Since that Judge Clark has "met with eggs of the species from 

 fom" different nests," one of which he (1897) describes, as follows: 



One was found on the salt meadow near the west shore of the Connecticut 

 River near its mouth in Old Saybrook. The situation was on the bank of a 

 small ditch which was partially grown up with sedges and nearly dry at the time 

 of the find. The meadow was a tract which had not been mowed in some years 

 and on the ditch Vjank was a large growth of old dry blue grass, of previous 

 years, partially prostrated by winter's ice and snow and held up from the ground 

 by the new growth sparsely working its way through to the light. As I lifted 

 a bulging tuft of it I was startled to find a nest beneath with a beautiful set of 

 six eggs of the little black rail. Carefully smoothing back the drooping grasses 

 I left them hoping for an increase which however failed to develop. Four days 

 later I again gently lifted the covering and found the bird sitting closely on her 

 treasures. At a motion on my part she darted from the nest across the ditch 

 and stopped without taking flight in a little tuft of grass within an inch of my 

 boot; at a slight movement on my part she darted into another tuft a few feet 

 behind me, and as I essayed to turn she darted back to her former position by 

 my boot. I say darted, for I can think of no other word that so nearly expresses 

 her every movement, which was so swift that the eye could scarcely follow it. 

 I wanted that bird greatly for still I have no representative of the species in my 

 collection, though it is quite complete of that class found in Connecticut other- 

 wise, but vain was every effort to get a stroke of my staff at it. Its next move- 

 ment was to spring into the air and take flight, dropping into a patch of cat-tails 

 a few rods away. Its flight was after the manner of the rail family and I could 

 easily have shot it on the wing had my gun been with me. This is the only 

 bird of the species I have ever seen. 



