hall 
472 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. 
It begins to build about the 10th of May. The nest is 
placed on the ground in a marsh, sometimes in a tussock of 
grass or on a pile of seaweed: it is constructed of a large 
mass of dried grasses and weeds, and is but little hollowed. 
The eggs.are from five to seven or eight in number. Their 
form is usually ovoidal, and their primary color dull creamy- 
drab or dirty-buff. This is marked more or less thickly with 
spots and blotches of different shades of brown and obscure 
spots of lilac. The nearest in resemblance to these eggs 
are those of the Woodcock ; but, when a number of each are 
placed side by side, the eggs of the latter may be readily 
identified by their generally more pyriform shape. The 
dimensions of the eggs of the Clapper Rail vary from 
1.82 by 1.25 inch to 1.63 by 1.14 inch. The greater 
number of spots are more of a purplish tint; and they 
are generally rather sparingly distributed over the entire 
ege. 
The habits of this species are similar to those of the fol- 
lowing; but the Clapper Rail seems to prefer for its home 
the marshes in the neighborhood of salt water. 
RALLUS VIRGINIANUS. — Linneus. 
The Virginia Rail. 
Rallus Virginianus, Linneus. Syst. Nat., I. (1766) 263. Wils. Am. Orn., VII. 
(1813) 109. Nutt. Man., IL. (1834) 205. Aud. Orn. Biog., III. (1835) 41; V. 578. 
Jb., Birds Am., V. (1842) 174. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Much smaller than either of the preceding, but resembling them in form, and 
resembling also R. elegans in colors; upper parts olive-brown, with longitudinal 
stripes of brownish-black; line from base of bill over the eye reddish-white; throat 
white; neck before and breast bright-rufous; abdomen and under tail coverts with 
transverse bands of black and white, the former being the wider; upper wing coverts 
bright rufous-chestnut; under wing coverts black, with transverse lines of white; 
iris bright-red. : 
Total length (from tip of bill to end of tail), about seven and a half inches; wing, 
four; tail, one and a half inches. 
This handsome species is pretty generally distributed 
throughout New England as a summer resident. Unlike 
