RALLID.E — THE RAILS — RALLUS. 



363 



the first of these notes being extremely loud and ra2)id, and the later ones lower and 

 inotracted. The bird seems to jjossess the powers of ventrilot^uism, so that it often 

 iippi'ars niueh nearer than it really is. 



In South Carolina, during the month of Uetober and later, it is hunted at high 

 tide, in the same manner as is practised near Philadelphia in hunting the Sora Hail, 

 and numy are thus obtained. This can only be done during high water. 



Mr. ^loore states that \n', has measured, in one instance, the footjirints of the 

 Cla[iper Kail, made on a smooth sandbar, and found the interval between them, for 

 several steps, nineteen inches. These nuist have been impressed when the bird was 

 running at its utmost speed. Even then the extent is surprising, when the length of 

 llic tarsus is borne in mind, this being onl}' li.To inches. The largest stride of a 

 Canada Crane is only 19.50 inches. The interval between the footi)rints of the (Jreat 

 nine Heron, in its widest step, is 19.87 inches. An egg with the shell formed was 

 I'ound in one of these birds June (!tli ; and live young l)irds, only a few days old, were 

 seen Aug. 4, 1873. 



The ground-eolor of the eggs of this species is usually a pale cream, but miudi 

 deeper than that of Ji. eh'//iiiis. The nuirkings are also much more numerous than 

 in those of the latter, but essentially of the s;une tints — dark ])urplish brown and a 

 lighter purplish slate. Two eggs in my collection (Xo. 77), from South Carolina, 

 taken by ])r. Uachman, measure : one 1.00 inches in length by 1.17 in breadth, the 

 otiier 1.70 by l.L'O. 



The eggs exhibit grefit variations in size and shape, the largest measuring 1.80 by 

 1.10 inches, the smallest 1.50 by 1.05, the most oblong l.CJO by 1.00, etc. The ground- 

 color varies from a jiale buff to a dirty white. All are marked — more or less 

 siiarsely — with spots and blotches of reddish brown and obscure lilac and slate. 



-cCihu-i'iih'i- 



Rallus virginianus. 



THE VIBGINIA BAIL; LITTLE BED-BBEASTED BAIL. 



Rallus virginianns, LiNX. S. N. 1. 1766, 263 (ba.sod on Cati'.sii. 70 ; Uris.s. V. 17ii). — WiLS. Am. 



Orn. VII. 1813, lO'.t, i-l. 62, l\g. 1. — Nrrr. Man. II. 1834, 20j ; Aim. Oni. Biog. III. 1835, 



41 ; V. 1839, 573, \A. 205 ; 1!. Am. V. 1842, 174, pi. 311. — IJAinn, 15. N. Am. 1858, 748 ; 



Cat. N. Am. H. 1850, no. 554. — CofF.s, Key, 1872, 273; CliCLk List, 1873, no. 467; 2cl ed. 



1882, no. 677 ; Birds N. W. 1874, 536. — Ridgw. Bull. Nutt. Oni. Club, V. no. 3, 1880, 140 j 



Norn. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 572. 

 liitUus aquatlcus, vnr. /3, Lath. Ind. Oni. II. 1790, 755. 

 llallus limicola, Vikill. Ency. Jli'th. 1823, 1059. 



Hab. The whole of temperate North America as far as the British Provinces, south to Guate- 

 mala and Cuba ; occasionally winters almost at the novtliern limit of its range.^ 



Sp. Char. Adult: A miniature of 7i'. clcrjawt, but more deeply colored. Above, olivaceous, 

 lipiivily striped witli black ; wing-coverts clicstnut-rufous ; reniiges plain dusky ; crown and nape 

 dusky, sometimes uniform, usually indistinctly streaked with olive ; a brownish-white supraloral 

 line ; side of head uniform plumbeous (sometimes obscured with a brownish wash) ; malar region, 

 fmi'neck, jngulum, breast, sides, and abdomen, sometimes throat also, cinnamon, the middle of the 

 belly lighter (sometimes whitish) ; flanks (not sides) and axillars dusky, barred with white ; 

 lining of wing dusky, the feathers tipped and bordered with white. Downy young : Glossy black ; 

 bill scarlet or orange-red in life (whitish or pale yellowish in the .skin), slightly marked with 

 blacki.sh in front of the nostril and on ba.se of mandible. Young {first plumage) : "Top and sides 

 ol' head, neck behind, back anteriorly, rump, breast, and sides, dull dead black. Interscapular 



' A specimen was sent by Captain Bondire to the National Museum from Walla Walla, Washington 

 Territory, which was sliot there Jan. IC, 1879, when the snow was more than a foot deep I 



