The Summer Life of the Virginia Rail 



245 



ing rapidly until it covered the ground-glass as she jumped up and struck the 

 camera. 



June 17 the eggs were beginning to hatch, and there were six silky, black 

 little ones in the nest. Three of them followed the mother when she left the 

 nest and hid in the flags around its base. The three others were not yet dry 

 and with their bright eyes shining lay kicking and struggling to get out of the 

 nest. Soon the mother came back calling softly ka ka ka ka ka, and the young 

 ones left their hiding-place and ran to her. One of them fell into one of my 



EGGS AND NEWLY HATCHED YOUNG OF VIRGINIA RAIL 



foot-tracks, and the mother came quickly and, taking it up, ran off into the 

 flags, carrying it dangling from her bill as a cat carries her kittens. The male 

 now showed himself for the first time. He kept close to the outlying cover, 

 scolding as he dodged in and out among the flags and grass. 



Next day as I approached, the female was on the nest brooding and the 

 male began to scold from the cover. A few times he came out and charged at 

 me with wings drooping but did not come close like the female. When the 

 female left the nest, the young (and there was now a nestful) immediately 

 followed, scattering and hiding in the grass. There was now but one egg left 

 unhatched, and the chick came out of it twenty minutes later. Soon after 



