NORTH AMERICAN MARSH BIRDS 331 



the song of both sexes. After hunting for more than 40 minutes I failed to flush 

 the mate, so went home and skinned the one which I had secured. At 3 p. m. 

 o'clock I went in search of the male, accompanied by a friend, Lieut. J. D. 

 Cozby, who brought with him his fine pointer dog. Although we heard the notes of 

 the bird incessantly, which never changed from "kik, kik, kik, kik" or "kuk, kuk, 

 kiik, kuk," it was absolutely impossible to flush him but once in two hours' 

 careful search when he flew into the oat stubble, but ran like a phantom into the 

 standing oats. It was nearly 7 o'clock p. m. and I was fast losing hope of obtain- 

 ing the male, when I saw the dog pointing, but the bird ran between Lieut. Cozby 

 and myself, then flushed as it passed me. I quickly requested my friend to 

 shoot and bj' a fortunate shot he succeeded in killing it. When it is realized that 

 it required four hours' constant search in order to secure the male it can be 

 understood liow secretive the rail is in its environment. 



The descriptions of the notes of this rail, as given by others, are 

 not sufficiently different from the above to warrant quoting them. 

 It seems likely that the notes described by Mr. Brewster (1901) as 

 coming from the mysterious ''kicker," were referable to the black 

 rail ; but there is a bare possibility that they may have been made 

 by a yellow rail, which is known to produce similar notes. Mr. T. E. 

 McMullen tells me that the call of the black rail sounds like "did- 

 ee-dunk," three times repeated, with the accent on the last syllable. 

 Winter. — Mr. C. J. Pennock, writing from St. Marks, Florida, has 

 sent me the following notes: 



The presumption seems probable that they occur here regularly in consider- 

 able numbers during the fall and winter. Being so extremely elusive, and I be- 

 lieve silent while here, their presence is most difhcult to establish unless they are 

 forced from the dense cover of our extensive marshes by an unusually high tide. 

 During such occurrences two birds were taken by hand on September 4, 1915, 

 and six were captured from a boat t)y hand on September 11, 1919. Two of 

 these latter birds were birds of the year and showed some down while the pri- 

 maries were but just pushing from the sheaths. The indication being certain 

 that they had been reared on the marsh where they were found. \ third one 

 of the six was a bird of the year but older than the two tiny ones. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — Eastern United States to Central Ameiica. 



Breeding range. — North to Kansas (Garden City, Finney County, 

 probably Beloit and Manhattan) ; Iowa (Linn County) ; Minnesota 

 (Hennepin County); Illinois (Chicago); probably southern Ontario 

 (Dundas); Connecticut (Saybrook); and Massachusetts (Chatham). 

 East to Massachusetts (Chatham); Connecticut (Saybrook); New 

 Jersey (Mount Holly, Camden, Brigantine, and Beasley's Point); 

 probably Virginia (Wallops Island); North Carolina (Raleigh) ; South 

 Carolina (Mount Pleasant); and Florida (Alachua County and 

 Merritt's Island). South to Florida (Alachua County, Merritt's 

 Island and Wakulla County) ; western North Carolina (Statesville 

 and Weaverville) ; IlUnois (Pliilo); and Kansas (Princeton). West 

 to Kansas (Garden City). 



