Vol. XII 



jA' I RieiiAioxn, Habits of Porzana cincreiceps. 21 



closely acquainted with the bird, 1 found the approach of any 

 strange object, or sudden movement, or unusual noise was suffi- 

 cient to call forth this rattling cry. It was apparently not only an 

 alarm note, but one of communication as well. The birds did 

 not appear to inhabit extensive swamps to any great degree, but 

 preferred to follow the margins of the various water-courses, 

 where ample shelter and food supply prevailed. On several 

 occasions in December, I explored a large swamp in the rear of 

 one of the banana plantations on the Escondido River, but did 

 not see any of these birds, although one was heard on one of 

 these excursions, and two old nests were found. To reach this 

 swamp it was necessary to wade through mud knee deep for 

 about three hundred yards, then, after crossing a short interval 

 of water, to plunge at once into the tall grass and among the 

 silico palms and mangroves (or mangrove-like trees), where the 

 water was up to one's shoulders. It was easier in some places to 

 scramble about on the roots of the mangroves above water, but 

 more than enough for comfort, the dead roots would break, and 

 with a tangling of trousers let a bare leg project down into the 

 darkness below — a splendid target for tabobas and alligators. 

 Imagine a collector floundering about in such a swamp, with tall 

 grass and other plant forms rising several feet above the water, 

 obscuring the surrounding country ; a dense carpet of dead and 

 decaying vegetable matter covering the surface, making progress 

 in any direction next to impossible, especially with a gun, and 

 withal, a hot, glaring, tropical sun beating down over everything. 

 To these discomforts is to be added another : the sharp-pointed 

 seeds of the grass overhead hanging down in large panicles, ready 

 to drop at the least jar, and during the collector's progress falling 

 in large quantities down his neck and back, causing much irrita- 

 tion. In the interests of truth I must add that neither tabobas 

 nor other snakes were seen on these excursions ; nor alligators, 

 although there were said to be many of them inhabiting the 

 place. If any Rails had been lurking in the vicinity at the times 

 of my visits, they would undoubtedly have announced their 

 presence under the influence of the disturbance created. 



This species M'as pretty generally distributed along the water- 

 courses visited by me, and was found to be particularly abundant 



