CHAPTER XIV 



GREAT RED-BREASTED RAIL. RALLUS ELEGANS. 



LOCALITY AND DESCRIPTION. 



This beautiful Bird is well known to the Delaware Rail 

 Shooters as tlie King Rail. They frequent the fresh-water 

 marshes of the interior, and seem to feed upon the same food 

 as the Sora Rails, as they are most often found in the same 

 localities. The Rallus Elegans is far more common in the 

 South than it is to the Eastward, being seldom met with beyond 

 the reedy shores of the River Delaware. The specimen before 

 us is a very beautiful one, and was obtained while shooting the 

 Sora Rails below Chester last season. 



This Bird is thus described by " Giraud" in his work on the 

 Birds of Long Island : " Bill along the gap, two inches and 

 three-quarters ; length of tarsi, two inches ; sides and forepart 

 of neck and the breast, bright orange brown; iris, bright red." 

 Total length of the specimen before us seventeen inches, wing 

 six and three-quarters. Adult, upper part of head and hind 

 neck dull broAvn; from the base of the upper mandible over 



