394 



General Notes. [October 



disarranged curtain thiat excluded the sun from the precious eggs, fixed 

 some permanent ranges, and quietly departed to await the completion of 

 the set. A week later, on the 13th of June, I again visited the nest and 

 found therein the full complement of nine eggs. 



This nest was situated about forty rods back from the shore of the river, 

 on the moist meadow, often overflowed by the spring tides. The particu- 

 lar spot had not been mowed for several years, and the new grass, spring- 

 ing up through the old, dry, accumulated growths of previous years, was 

 thick, short, and not over eight or ten inches in height — a fine place for 

 Rails to glide unseen among its intricacies. The nest after the comple- 

 ment of eggs were deposited in it resembled that of the common Meadow 

 Lark, it consisting of fine meadow grasses loosely put together, with a 

 covering of the standing grasses woven over it and a passage and entrance 

 at one side. The eggs also have a general resemblance to the Lark's, but 

 difi'er in several points, being smaller and of a duller white, without the 

 gloss usual on the Lark's. The spots are also smaller than the ordinary 

 markings on the Lark's eggs. In size I find them as follows : No 1, 1.04 

 X .8i inches; No. 2, 1.04 X .81; No. 3, 1.04 X .79; Nos. 4 and 5, i.oo 

 X .80; No. 6, I.oo X .81 ; No. 7, 1.02 X .80; No. 8, .98 X 81 ; No. 9, .97 

 X .80. 



Compared with other Rail's eggs, they most resemble in general color 

 those of the Vii-ginia Rail, but the markings are much smaller as well as 

 much more numerous; two of the specimens have, however, large spots, 

 like Virginia Rail's, at the large end ; but in the majority the spots are 

 small and abundant. The diff'erence between the two ends, if any, is very 

 slight, the eggs being much less elongated than those of any other Rail 

 I have seen. 



I found a Lark's nest the same day within two rods of this Rail's nest, 

 and not very far from it a Virginia Rail's nest. Taking one of the nine 

 eggs therein for comparison, I find it measures 1.30 X .98 inches; rather 

 larger than the average of the species. 



I must add an account of my efi"orts to secure the Little Black Rail with 

 the set. I devoted the whole day to this special end, and visited the nest 

 about every half hour through the day, approaching it with every possible 

 caution, and having a little tuft of cotton directly over the nest to indicate 

 the exact spot ; but although I tried it from every quarter with the utmost 

 diligence and watchfulness, I was never able to obtain the slightest glimpse 

 of the bird — never perceived the slightest quiver of the surrounding grass 

 to mark her movements as she glided away, and yet I found the eggs warm 

 every time, indicating that she had but just left them. — John N. Clark, 

 Saybrook^ Ct. 



The Widgeon in Maine in February. — On the 20th of February last 

 Mr. T. B. Davis, the gunsmith of this city, showed me a recently killed 

 male specimen of the Widgeon i^Mareca americana) , which had been for- 

 warded to him for preservation by a sportsman of Freeport, Maine. The 

 bird had been dead several days. February, 1884, will be remembered as 



