338 BIRDS OF THE MOOR. 



"The Clapper Rail," by Dr. E. Coues, published in the 

 "American Naturalist," Vol. III. pp. 600-607. 



The Clapper Rail, or Salt-water Marsh Hen, inhabits 

 the marshes all along our coast, within reach of the tides, 

 rarely, if ever, straying inward. It goes as far as Massa- 

 chusetts, where it is rare ; but is found abundantly in the 

 Middle States, and in countless numbers on the coast of 

 North Carolina, where it spends the whole year. The 

 young birds while in their downy plumage are jet black, 

 with a faint gloss of green, resembling newly hatched 

 chickens. Rails live in the marshes, and are not very 

 often seen except when they fly up. 



The eggs of the Clapper Rail are of a pale buff or 

 cream color. They are dotted or splashed with irregular 

 spots of a dull purple or lilac color; and the number 

 found in a nest is from six to nine. They raise two 

 broods in a season, and some idea of the countless num- 

 bers of Rails in the marshes may be gained from the fact 

 that baskets full of eggs are gathered by boys and brought 

 to the Beaufort market. 



The Rails' nests are sometimes floated away and de- 

 stroyed by an unusual rise of the tide caused by a storm. 

 A great tragedy of this kind happened at Fort Macon on 

 the 22d of May, 1869, when the marsh, usually above 

 water, was flooded, only here and there a little knoll 

 breaking the monotony of the water. There was a ter- 

 rible commotion among the Rails at first, and the reeds 

 resounded with their hoarse cries of terror. But as the 

 waters advanced and inundated their houses the birds 

 became silent again, as if in unspeakable misery. They 

 wandered in listless dejection over beds of floating wrack, 

 swam aimlessly over the water, or gathered stupefied in 

 groups upon projecting knolls. Few of the old birds 

 probably were drowned, but most of the young must 

 have perished. 



