28 PROCEEDINGS OP THE 



.should judge that the last egg was laid about May 17, which 

 would give May 6 as the day upon which the first one was 

 deposited. This nest was too loosely constructed to collect ; 

 when I tried to take it, it fell apart. No birds were seen or 

 heard at or near the nest. 



In that part of the marsh where I found the two Gallinules' 

 nests in 1904, I again found one on June 12 of this year, con- 

 taining three eggs. The bird cackled in the rushes close by 

 while I examined her nest and eggs, but she could not be seen 

 or flushed. Nine days later, on June 21, this nest contained 

 eleven eggs, none of them over one-third incubated. This nest 

 was about thirty feet from the dump, situated in a solitary 

 clump of rushes less than a yard in extent, in a "pool" of 

 open water, which in turn was surrounded on all sides by thick 

 cattails. It was similar to the others in position and con- 

 struction, but not so well built. Outside diameter nine inches, 

 inside five inches; outside depth four inches, inside two inches. 

 This nest is considerably smaller than the three others described. 



An egg in this set was laid upon the others, and as it was 

 fresh it was evidently the last one laid, and I disturbed the bird 

 from the nest before she had time to arrange it with the others. 



This bird laid eight eggs in eight or nine daj's, and un- 

 doubtedly laid the complement of eleven eggs in as many days. 

 While collecting the nest and eggs the bird uttered her character- 

 istic hen-like cackles from the rushes all around me, but I could 

 obtain no glimpse of her. 



On the day this nest was first found, June 12, I found an- 

 other, in the same sort of situation and apparently completed 

 and ready for eggs. It was afterward, however, considered to 

 be a sham or false nest, as no eggs were laid in it, and only this 

 ■one pair of birds inhabited this part of the marsh. The Florida 

 Gallinule seems to have learned to construct false or sham nests 

 like the Least Bittern and their midget companions, the Marsh 

 Wrens. 



Another apparently completed Gallinule' s nest was found on 

 June 22, situated in a small "islet" of rushes, two feet in area 

 in an open si)ace of water, several yards in extent, surrounded 

 on all sides by dense patches and clumps of cattails. The bird 



