KING RAIL 129 



or saw one succeed in doing anything more than to cause the Rail to scream loudly and 

 beat a vigorous retreat througli the high sheltering grass. Tliis species breeds in the drier 

 portions of the marshes, near the islands, depositing their eggs in March and April. They 

 are i»arlly migratory, those which occur as far north as New York and New Jersey, re- 



trcaliiig .sunlli in winter. 



EALLTJS ELEGANS. 



King Rail. 



h'allus clematis Aud., Ova. Biog., Ill; 1835, 27. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Si'. Cii. Form, robust. Size, large. Tongue, long, thin, andsleader, gradually tapering toward ti|) wliicli isacute- 



ly pointed. 



Color. Adult. Greenish-brown above, streaked witli darker. Upper wing C(]VcTts, deep diestnut-red. Sides of 

 head, bkiish-ash. Beneath, chestnut-red, with tlie sides, tlanlvs, and under wing and tail coverts, lirown, banded with 

 white. Throat and under eyelid, also white. Young. Similar to the adult, Ijut darker ahove and paler below 



OBSERVATIONS. 

 Readily known by the pale chestnut-red markings below, and absence of any bluish-ash (jn either surface. Distribu- 

 ted, in summer, throughout tlie inland marshes, from New York, southward. Winters in the South. 



DIMENSIONS. 

 Average measurements of specimens from the South. Length, 18-00; stretch, 24'50; wing, 6-35; Uiil, :j'25; bill, 2'50; 

 tarsus, 2'45. Longest specimen, lO'OO: greatest extent of wing, 25-00; longest \ving,fi-75; t-ail. ."J-.'JO; biil,3-00; tarsus, 2 75. 

 Shortest specimen, 17'00; smallest extent of wing, 2-t'OO; shortest wing, ti-OO; tail, 3-00; bill, 2-00; tai-sus, 2-25. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGdS. 

 Nests, placed on the ground in marshy places, composed of gi-ass, weeds, etc. Er/ys, from eight to ten in number, 

 oval in form, IjUiisli-white or creamy in color, dotted iind spotted sparcely with reddish-brow-n and lilac Dimensions from 

 1-15x1-55 to 1-25x1-75. 



HABITS. 



Although the King Rails are almost exclusively fresh water birds, I Inive shot them 

 on the salt marshes about Cedar Keys, in company with the Clapper Rtiils. Both species 

 are confined to the Middle and Southern Sections but are occasioiuiUy taken in Masstichu- 

 sctts, although as yet, I believe, have never been found breeding so far north. The King 

 Rails evidently do not differ in habit from the preceding species, being ni>isy birds :ind part- 

 ly nocturnal. They are migra,tory, passing southward with the first frosts, some spending 

 the winter in Florida. 



EALLUS VIRGINIANUS. 



Virginia Rail. 



Eallus Viryinianus Linn., Syst. Nat., I; 1766, 263. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sp. Cn. Form, rather slender. Size, small. Tongue, long, thin slender, and tapering gradually toward tip which 



is pointed. 



CoLoit. Adult. Above, dark-brown, w-itli nil the feathers, excepting primaries, edged with brownish-yellow. Upper 

 wing coverts, deep chestnut-red. Sides of head, bluish. Line from liill to point over eye, and thrnnt, crenmy-white. Un- 

 der portitms, cliestnut-red, with flanks and under wing and tail covert^, black, banded with w-hite. Legs, iris, and bill, 

 brown with the latter reddish-orange at base of lower mandible. Younr/. Similar hut much darker, the earlier stages be- 

 ing nearly black. Nesi/inys. Are covered with black down glossed with gi-een and the bill is white, with the ba.se of low- 

 er mandible, line along its side joining a band across bill, black. 



OBSERVATIONS. 

 Readily known by tlic small size, long, curved bill, and colors as described. Distributed, in summer, from Canada to 

 Florida. Winters in the South. 



