76 THE WILSON BULLETIN— June, 1921 



very good eating. The negroes seldom, if ever, walk in 

 the marsh in search of the eggs, but paddle through the 

 creeks and secure what they can find in the marsh close to 

 the banks. Consequently the number taken is inconsider- 

 able as most of the birds build their nests some distance 

 from the rivers and creeks. 



Much is yet to be learned of the behavior of this marsh- 

 dweller. Large areas of its marshy retreats are inaccess- 

 ible unless the observer is provided with some means of 

 progress through them that will eliminate bogging, as the 

 mud in those areas, which are flooded at high tide, is often 

 a foot or more deep and very soft and an invasion afoot 

 is usually impossible. 



Gallinula galeata — Florida Gallinule. 



I have secured very little data on tlie nesting habits of 

 this interesting species, and my knowle<lge of its distribu- 

 tion and abundance in the county is not extensive. It Avas 

 not until 1915 that it was* added to the list of breeding- 

 birds of Chatham county. In May of that year G. R. Ros- 

 signol, Frank N. Irving and the writer visited Ossabaw 

 island where a number of pairs were found breeding in a 

 fresh water pond. The data follows : Ma}^ 11, nest contain- 

 ing seven fresh eggs ; May 11, one nest containing eight 

 slightly incubated eggs, and one containing five fresh eggs. 

 On the latter date we also noted a nest containing one egg. 

 All of these nests were built a foot above T\ater, in tall reeds 

 and cat-tail flags, and were composed of dead and water- 

 soaked stalks and leaves of these plants. The first nest 

 was discovered by Mr. Irving soon after Ave luid entered The 

 pond. Four feet from this nest was a dense clump of tall 

 reeds, just within the edge of which I stood motionless for 

 an hour and a half, in water waist deep while a torrential 

 rain completed the drenching and added to my discom- 

 fiture; all in hopes of catching a glimpse of one of these 

 shy birds. Soon after I took my stand in the reeds 1 

 heard a gallinule utter its note and splash about in the 

 water a' few feet from the nest, but I was unable to catch 

 sight of it through the dense vegetation. Fully an hour 



