306 GAME BIRDS OF CALIFORNIA 



low-growing vegetation and at first glance is likely to be taken for a 

 mouse. 



The only known breeding ground of the California Black Rail 

 is a limited area on the salt marshes of San Diego Bay between 

 National City and Chula Vista. There, A. M. Ingersoll succeeded 

 in finding three occupied nests of this species. But this much success 

 was attained only by twenty-five trips to the locality. There are few 

 birds the nests of which are so hard to locate. In regard to his finds, 

 Ingersoll (1909, pp. 124-126) says: 



The salt weeds of this marsh are of an evergreen character and perennial, 

 varying little from season to season. Old clumps of Salicornia [pickle-weed] 

 become more or less matted down, forming an ideal retreat for this secretive 

 little bird. A favorite nesting site is one formed by an old top-heavy weed 

 falling over a growth of previous years in such a way as to leave a shelf -like 

 space between the layers of stems and foliage. Away from the glaring sun 

 on such a platform, is concealed a flimsy nest of fine dry weed stems. These 



weeds are too brittle to admit of weaving, and 

 — fall apart on being lifted from the sustaining 



platform. . . . 



The whitish eggs have a scarcely perceptible 



.gyQi tinge of pink. They are finely speckled with bright 



reddish-broAvn and obscure lilac dots. The average 



Fig. 53 Side of bill of measurement of the eggs is .95 x .71 inches. The 



California Black Rail. Nat- eggs exhibit great variations in size and shape 



ural size. Y)^^^ ^j.q rather uniformly marked. I believe the 



eggs of this species could not be mistaken for 

 those of any other bird. The shells are of close-grained hard texture. They 

 possess greater durability than any eggs of similar size that I know of. One 

 year's exposure to the elements is not enough to destroy the shell. In 1908, there 

 were many eggs of the California Black Eail floated out of the nests by the high 

 tides, probably by those of March 30 and 31. I examined upwards of thirty 

 "floaters" during May of that year. They were then rotten and partially dried 

 up. Fourteen " floaters " that were whole and perfectly dry were picked up dur- 

 ing the present season; most of them were bleacht entirely free of markings. A 

 few that had lodged beneath the vegetation were still speckled. These dry eggs 

 were at least ten months old; possibly the salt water acted as a preservative. 

 Sixteen old nests were found in the immediate vicinity of ' ' floaters. ' ' On 

 several occasions, eggs were found lodged in weeds at a higher elevation than 

 the nest from which they had floated. About one-third of the nests were built 

 on or within two inches of the ground. I am informed of one nest being 

 placed at a height of eighteen inches. 



An accurate estimate of the number of birds in this colony is of course 

 impossible; but judging from the number of floaters and old nests, I should 

 say that in 1908, thirty pairs of birds resided there at that time. 



Huey (1916, p. 59) who has had considerable experience with this 

 species on the marshes bordering San Diego Bay gives March 24 

 (1912) for the earliest nesting date, a complete set of five eggs having 

 been then secured. His latest record is for May 25 (1909) when a 



