40 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 8-No. 5 



preparation except to select a spot above 

 the reach of tide, and with a httle old hay 

 beneath and a good screen overhead, they 

 commence business. Nests are found from 

 the 15th of May to the 20th of Jime in 

 abundance : and even as late as the 1st of 

 August fresh eggs have been obtained. 

 Farmers, and others in the localities where 

 these birds are abundant, have been in the 

 habit of "going egging," as they term it, 

 for years, gathering in a season bushels of 

 eggs, in the aggregate, and using them in 

 the culinary operations of the family. 

 My first discovery of this mine of Eails' 

 eggs was an accidental one. At a stand in 

 a market my attention was directed to a 

 basket of 200 or more of these eggs. 

 Thinking it might be well to secure a few 

 of them I enquired and found the price 

 to be according to weight, at what they 

 were worth for cooking purposes. Think- 

 ing it a shame to destroy so many speci- 

 mens, I took the lot, getting information 

 about the locality and the promise of more 

 the succeeding week. Judge of my sur- 

 prise the next week when 500 or more ar- 

 rived. For two years I took all our col- 

 lectors brought, but owing to the prospect 

 of a fine of $25 for each egg taken, and 

 not being able to have siich expensive eggs 

 in my collection, it was deemed best to 

 leave the eggs to be hatched for the benefit 

 of the gimners. I enquired in the market 

 this Fall for the killed birds, and found a 

 large lot at one stand at from $1 to $1.50 

 per dozen. They weigh about one pound 

 each, but are very unsalable from some 

 cause, a large lot having to be thrown 

 away. Although not web-footed they can 

 swim pretty well when going from island 

 to island, or across the creeks, accompa- 

 nied by their family of young Rails. I 

 do not think they have more than one nest 

 in a year, unless their first riest is broken 

 up. The number of eggs in a nest varies 

 from eight to sixteen, not many reaching 

 the latter figure. The size and color varies 

 very much. I have eggs 1| inches long by 



If broad ; most are about If X Ig, although 

 found occasionally 1^ X 1 inch. The color 

 varies from bluish white to light brown, 

 and the markings vary from faint dots to 

 heavy splashes of brown. The farmers, 

 when gathering the eggs for culinary uses, 

 if in doubt as to the freshness of the eggs, 

 dip them in shallow water, and if they sink 

 and lie on the sides they call them good ; 

 if they sink but stand on end they put 

 them back in the nest ; but if they float 

 they know them to be b^d. The young 

 are full grown about the 1st of September. 

 The C. Rails being very shy, form burrows 

 under the growing grass, so that their 

 nests are not easily found ; and were it not 

 for the fact of their placing their nests 

 near some tall grass or bunch of reeds it 

 would be next to impossible to find them 

 They seldom take to wing unless they are 

 suddenly startled, trusting to their being 

 able to run and dodge their pursuers in the 

 reeds. While setting, they stick to their 

 nests to the last moment, and are some- 

 times caught on the nest. They startle you 

 sometimes as you uncover the nest. To 

 use the words of one collector, " They are 

 sometimes quite bold and saucj', if it is 

 near hatching time, and squawk like a 

 setting hen." Having had a large number 

 to disti'ibute during 1880 and 1881 it has 

 reduced values in catalogues; but having 

 none to send out in 1883, another change 

 may be necessary. Most of the C. Rail 

 eggs were found on the north side of 

 Long Island. I have not met with this 

 species on the Elizabeth or Newark great 

 meadows, but found one nest of the Vir- 

 ginia R., containing eight eggs, . on the 

 Salt Meadows at Elizabeth. The gunners 

 are very numerous about here, and birds 

 stand biit little chance. We have but two 

 or three good collectors of eggs in this 

 neighborhood. — B. JS., Elizabeth, JSf. J. 



Golden Eagles. Since the above was in 

 type William Stembeck reports another set 

 of two Golden Eagle's eggs. 



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