° ' 19 2o J General Notes. 129 



this species but nothing more definite had been noted. On September 4, 

 1915, during a tide four or five feet above usual high water — the off-shoot 

 of a gulf hurricane — an adult Black Rail was picked up at the edge of the 

 incoming waters on the railroad embankment within the limits of our 

 village and was water-soaked and almost lifeless. A small offer for other 

 specimens soon brought another bird and reports of at least two or three 

 others seen, all on the date above given. 



On October 6, 1916 two of these birds were observed near the lighthouse, 

 at low tide, flying from or near the water's edge and among some coarse 

 and rather sparsely growing water plants inshore to the cover of the tidal 

 marsh. 



On September 11, 1919, we again had high water — visible evidence of the 

 Key West hurricane — about four feet above ordinary high tide. In a 

 skiff-boat, over the river marsh, with a boy to row, six Black Rails were col- 

 lected by hand in less than an hour and probably three or four others were 

 seen. No wind or rain accompanied this high tide but seemingly the birds 

 were exhausted by their efforts to cling to the bushes which were their only 

 refuge above the water. Usually at the first feeble flight or effort to fly, 

 the bird fell into the water and on closer approach of the boat would dive 

 and make short-lived efforts to escape. 



Of these six birds three were adult (?) females or were at least decidedly 

 older than the other three. Of the three younger birds two were males and 

 one a female. 



Juv. No. 1 had the primaries partly developed but not fully from the 

 sheaths. A well marked shading of brown showed on the nape and traces 

 of down clung to the tips of some of the primaries. The wings, back, breast 

 and flanks were decidedly darker than in the older birds. 



The other two young birds were seemingly of equal age and considerably 

 younger than juv. No. 1. Their primaries were just showing the tips and 

 there was a slight trace of the brown on the hind neck. The white spots 

 of back, wings and flank while not so marked as in the adult are clearly indi- 

 cated. There is a slight, light-colored spot not clearly defined on the 

 bills of the two younger birds about one-third of the distance from the base, 

 but present in both specimens. 



So far as can be ascertained this is the first record of C. jamaicensis 

 nesting in the State where the young birds have been secured. 1 



The undeveloped condition of the two younger specimens — Nos. 2 and 

 3 — precludes a possibility of their having been reared elsewhere than on 

 the marsh on which they were captured. This tidal marsh close by our 

 village and not infrequently overflowed, is about seven miles up the river 

 from the Gulf and but two miles above usual salt water. It is not unusual 

 in times of strong east or south-east winds to have salt water a mile or more 

 above where these birds were found. 



■Baynard,— 'Breeding Birds of Alachna County, Fla.' (Auk, XXX, p. 243, 1913), 

 records seeing an adult with three young but apparently collected no specimens. 



