CHAPTER II 





The "Queen" Rail: Rdllus Elegans 



IN A SWAMP 



THERE are particularly fine 

 specimens among birds and ani- 

 mals as well as among men; and 

 for this reason one bird no more 

 represents the whole of its spe- 

 cies than one man represents his 

 entire race. The greatest thing 

 ever done with a bird was to win 

 its confidence. I have done 

 this in the case of many brood- 

 ing birds, but never to a degree 

 surpassing this instance. 



One evening one of the Faithful brought me word that seven 

 miles east of the Cabin, in a small swamp in one corner of Eli 

 McCollum's corn-field, "a big bird was brooding." A message 

 like that means everything delightful to a natural-history pho- 

 tographer, so I could scarcely await the coming morning to be 

 on my way. That night I dreamed of a large bird that carried 

 me on its back across a waving green swamp and kindly poised 

 in air above its nest while a study of its eggs was made. 



Early the following morning I donned my swamp outfit, 

 packed four cameras and started. The road wound to the 

 northeast through new country; there were hills and hollows to 



31 



HIDING AX EGG FROM SIGHT 



