^°'i9i4^^] Simmons, The Louisiana Clapper Rail. 375 



" Leaving this nest I circled towards the spot where the Rail had 

 disappeared, but though I searched for some time I was unable to 

 find her. I then went on east to the railroad, after having been in 

 the marsh about a half hour, and continued on my day's trip. 



"On my way home I stopped at the Red-wing colony again to 

 try and get a look at the Rail on the nest. Slowly I drew nearer 

 and nearer to the nest, but I could not tell whether there was a 

 bird on it or not, so still did she sit and so perfectly did she blend 

 into the background that I was unable to see her until I was 

 within about three feet of the nest. 



" Sitting on one heel while using the opposite knee as an impro- 

 vised table, I checked down a few descriptive notes and sketches in 

 my note book, although I feared she would leave the nest while I 

 was doing so. However, she did not, but remained on the nest 

 eyeing me ascant, her slightly curved bill nearly sidewise to me. 

 Dropping my note book and other paraphernalia, I arose until I 

 was half over the bird on the nest; I could easily have caught her 

 and might have stroked her as she sat on the nest, had I not been 

 so slow. But as I remained in that position for several minutes 

 without moving, she began to get nervous, and while I stood there 

 watching her she stepped off the nest into a well defined little run- 

 way or path leading away from it. So slowly did she go and such 

 time did she take to lift her feet at each step that I could have 

 counted a second or two between each stride. About twelve feet 

 away she stopped and half turned to watch me as I examined the 

 nest and eggs. 



" The nest was eight and a half inches across the top from rim to 

 rim; the cavity was two and a quarter inches deep, being a gradual 

 slope from rim to rim, with the reeds firmly and smoothly packed 

 inside. For the most part the nest was composed of reeds and 

 fragments of reeds or marsh grass from one inch to over a foot m 

 length; a few were somewhat longer, being the standing blades of 

 grass which had been bent flat against the ground and folded back 

 again. The lining was of small fragments of the same buffy, broad- 

 bladed marsh grass, and packed flat against the body of the nest. 



"The majority of the eggs were cracked and pipped and the 

 young in them kept up a constant twittering and faint squeaking, 

 and continually stuck the tips of their bills through the small 



