36 Contributions from the Charleston Museum. 



Then again, I have never taken full complements of eggs until 

 the first week in May. I made observations on a nest in the 

 spring of 1900, and noted that the female laid an egg each day 

 after 11 o'clock in the morning, and upon laying the last egg, 

 which was the twelfth, she began to incubate. 



In the month of April, 1900, I was observing a nest of this 

 species in a button-wood bush, which was in a pond of water, and, 

 about every other day, I waded into the pond to see how many 

 eggs were there. About the 8th of May, I judged that the full 

 complement of eggs would be completed, and upon visiting the 

 nest in the afternoon, which was very cloudy, I saw what I sup- 

 posed to be the bird incubating. But upon close inspection 

 I was very much surprised to find that what I took for the bird 

 was a huge Moccasin (Ancistrodon piscivorus), which I promptly 

 shot. This snake had eaten all the eggs and perhaps caught the 

 bird as the feathers were scattered around the nest. 



The eggs range from nine to fourteen, and the ground color 

 is cream, or light buff, spotted and speckled with brown and lilac. 

 They measure 1.65X1.20. 



80. Rallus crepitans Gmel. Clapper rail. 



This northern form is a winter visitant, arriving the last of 

 October — between the 28th and 30th — and remaining until March 

 15. During the spring tides in October and November, num- 

 bers of these birds are shot, together with R. c. waynei, and the 

 two forms can be very easily distinguished. 



This species, together with the following, is locally known 

 as ''Marsh Hen." 



81. Rallus crepitans waynei Brewst. Wayne's Clapper Rail. 



My friend Mr. William Brewster has bestowed upon me the 

 honor of naming this subspecies after me. This bird is well 

 known to all the inhabitants along the coast, and during the spring 

 tides in September, October, and November, countless thou- 

 sands are annually killed, yet there is no diminution in its numbers, 

 as the birds are vigorous and very prolific, and two broods are 

 annually raised, each pair being able to raise twenty-four young 

 under favorable circumstances. These birds, however, have 

 innumerable enemies to contend with during the breeding sea- 

 son, as crows take their eggs at every opportunity, crabs catch 



