26 PROCEEDINGS OP THE 



fresh, while the sluices incidentally admit many fish, which 

 form the chief food of the Gallinule, if not of the other water- 

 birds, and may account for their presence here. 



My acquaintance with the Florida Gallinule began on June 1, 

 1904, when, while hunting for Least Bitterns' nests, I suddenly 

 flushed a Gallinule from a patch of rushes I had just entered. 

 It took wing about fifteen feet ahead of me and flew, bittern- 

 fashion, with dangling legs ; but unlike the Bittern it did not 

 utter anj' croaks of alarm, and after flying about ten yards 

 dropped into another patch of rushes. 



This is the only Gallinule I ever succeeded in flushing and I 

 must have greatly alarmed it to compel it to seek safety in flight. 

 Many times afterward have I chased and pursued these w'ary 

 birds through the rushes, always guided by their cries, in vain 

 attempts to compel them to take wing so that I could note their 

 mode of flight — but always without success. In fact it is a dif- 

 ficult matter even to obtain a glimpse of one as it skulks about 

 among the vegetation. 



My first nest of the Florida Gallinule was found on June 14, 

 1904. It was situated in a clump of thick cattails seven feet 

 high, well in the marsh, placed on and over water two feet deep, 

 and attached to several of the growing stalks. It was a large 

 nest, well-built and shapely, composed of coarse dry rushes 

 woven together, lined with dry thin tops of rushes and dry 

 marsh grass. Outside width sixteen inches, inside twelve 

 inches, depth outside seven inches, inside three inches. It will 

 be seen that the bottom was four inches and the sides two 

 inches in thickness — thick enough to keep out the dampness. 

 The bird probably left the nest as she heard me approaching 

 through the rushes. The incubation of the eggs varied from 

 fresh to well begun. While taking the eggs and measuring the 

 nest, the bird was heard cackling continuously in the rushes 

 close by, and kept it up until I had left that part of the marsh. 

 The nest was ruined in a vain attempt to collect it. 



On June 21, 1904, I found a completed Gallinule's nest in 

 this marsh near the sf)ot where I found the preceding one, and 

 I feel sure it was the second nest of the same pair of birds. 

 One bird was seen near the completed nest, a mere glimpse 



