BIRDS OF XICW YORK 273 



cinnamon-burf, often shaded with ash; sides, flanks and axillars grayish 

 brown with narrow bars of white; wings and tail brown, the wing coverts 

 pale cinnamon; throat, eyelids and line over the eye white. 



Length 13. 5-16 inches; extent 20; wing 5-6.25; tail 2-2.5; bi^^ 2-2.5; 

 tarsus 1.7-2.25; middle toe and claw 2-2.3. 



Distribution. The Clapper rail ranges along the Atlantic seaboard 

 of tlie United States, regularly to Long Island and casually to Massachusetts. 

 It is a common summer resident on the salt marshes of our State and ascends 

 the Ht:dson accidentally as far as Ossining. According to Mr Worthington 

 it is rare in the \-icinity of Shelter Island. It has been reported two or 

 three times from the interior of the State, especialh* from S\-racuse, bv 

 Mr Dakin, who was a careful ornithologist, liut, in default of the specimens, 

 we must infer that these interior records should l)e referred to the }-oung 

 of the King rail. This species is frequently met with throughout the winter 

 on Long Island, but the principal number are migratorv, arriving from the 

 3d to the 20th of A])ril and departing late in October. 



The Clapper rail. Salt-water niarsh hen, or Mud hen, inhabits the 

 grassy salt marshes of Long Island, Staten Island and New Jersev. They 

 are abundant in the extensive marshes of the south coast of Long Island, 

 but uncommon al)out the eastern end and on Staten Island. They remain 

 under the co\'er of the dense sedge grass during the greater part of the day 

 or when danger is near, and it is almost impossible to flush them, except 

 at high tide when the marshes are flooded. Then if a boat is pushed through 

 the grass they can be driven from their hiding places. In this manner 

 the^' are shot in large nuinbers, l)ut their flesh is much inferior to that 

 of the Sora. 



Clapper rails are noisy birds as both their scientific names and their 

 common names would indicate. Their nest is concealed in the salt niarshes 

 and consists of a ])ile of dead rushes and grasses. The eggs are from 7 

 to 12 in number of a l)urfy or clay-white color, rather sparingly spotted 

 with reddish brown and obscure pin^plish. The dimensions average 1.72 x 

 1.20 inches. 



