680 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST. 



but could not find it until July 31. On that day they secured a dog, by 

 the aid of which it was flushed, but it was at too close range to shoot. 

 August 1 they again took with them a dog, which caught in its mouth 

 a young Black Eail, too small to fly. The search was continued, and 

 finally an adult male of the same species was found and secured. 



The following are the measurements of the male Black Eail, fresh 

 killed, before skinning: 



Length, 6.50; wing, 3.00; bill, .60; tarsus, 1.00; tibia, 1.50; tail, 

 1.40; extent, 10.00. 



Young, 4.40; tarsus, 1.00; bill, .50; tibia, 1.50. No tail yet. 



The birds were very kindly placed in my collection. Prof. J. A. 

 Balmer shot one while quail shooting one fall on Allison Prairie, Law- 

 rence County, Illinois, across the Wabash Kiver from Vincennes, Ind. 



There are only two records from Ohio. Mr. Chas. Dury mentions 

 two birds seen and one taken near Eoss Lake, near Carthage, 0., May 

 17, 1890. (Journ. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. XIII, No. 2, 1890, pp. 

 97, 98.) 



Between May 16 and 30, 1891, six males and a female were taken 

 at the same lake. From the female, which was obtained May 30, an 

 egg nearly fully developed was taken. (Dury and Kellogg, Ibid., Vol. 

 XIV, No. 1, p. 44.) 



Considering the lateness of the date and the development of the egg, 

 it is very probable these birds would have bred there. Mr. Dury notes 

 when the bird was flushed it would fly but a short distance and alight, 

 and it was almost impossible to flush it a second time. 



The only account of its nest and eggs is that given by Mr. E. W. 

 Nelson. In Birds of Northeastern Illinois, pp. 134, 135, he notes it 

 breeding near Chicago. The nest was found June 19, 1875, and con- 

 tained ten fresh eggs. "The nest was placed in a deep cup-shaped 

 depression in a perfectly open situation on the border of a marshy spot, 

 and its only concealment was such as a few straggling carices afforded. 

 It is composed of soft grass blades, loosely interwoven in a circular 

 manner. The nest, in shape and construction, looks much like that 

 of a Meadow Lark. The following are its dimensions in inches: Inside 

 depth, 2.50; inside diameter, 3.25; outside depth, 3.50; outside diam- 

 eter, 4.50. The eggs are a creamy white, instead of clear white, as I 

 stated in a recent article (Bull. Nuttall Orn. Club, Vol. I, p. 43), and 

 average 1.00 by .81 inches. They are nearly perfectly oval and are 

 thinly sprinkled with fine reddish-brown dots, which become larger 

 and more numerous at one end. Minute shell markings in the form 

 of dots are also visible. Owing to the small diameter of the nest, the 

 eggs were in two layers." 



