358 ALECTORIDES. 



Ill the " American Naturalist '" for February, 1874, ]\Ir. Eidgway calls attention 

 for the first time to what he then considered a Pacific variety of R. elerjans. He 

 now regards it as a probably good and distinct species. The type was taken by Dr. 

 Suckley in San Francisco in March, 1857. 



Little is known as to its distinctive manners or habits. With regard to this form 

 we have but few notes from any of the writers on the birds of the Pacific coast, and 

 all these were written with the belief that the bird referred to by them was really 

 the B. eletjans. Dr. Cooper, in his manuscript notes, makes mention of this species as 

 having been met with by himself; and considering it to be the sujiposed Fresh-water 

 King Rail, he exjjresses his surprise at finding it by no means confined to the fresh- 

 water marshes. The same ■\\Titer also mentions having heard the notes of Rails 

 in the Colorado and Mojave valleys ; these may ptossibly have been individuals of 

 the Virginia Rail. The season of the year was the winter and early spring. Since 

 then he has found this species common on the coast, at all seasons of the year, as 

 far north as San Francisco. He found it frequenting indifferently both the salt 

 marshes and the fresh ; but it conceals itself so completely, that it can be very rarely 

 obtained, or even seen, except when started by a dog. 



Dr. Cooper once found one of these birds concealed in a hole among some rock 

 sand ; and instead of making for the marshes, it flew out to sea and settled upon the 

 water. At San Pedro, during the extremely high tides of July, the same observer 

 procured several examples of this species. They were all young birds, but fully 

 grown. They had been driven from the marshy islands by the overflow, and were 

 floating about perched upon pieces of wood, waiting for the waters to subside. They 

 seemed to be perfectly bewildered, and could hardly be induced to take to flight. In 

 another part of his manuscri[)t Dr. Cooper dwells upon the fact — unlooked for by 

 him — that this bird certainly frequents Ijoth brackish water and salt-marshes. 



Mr. J. A. Allen also makes mention of having met with a Rail, sujiposed at the 

 time to be B. elegant, in the Valley of Great Salt Lake ; but this may have been, and 

 probably was, the present species. Whatever it was, he found it very abundant there. 



LTnder the name of Ballus elegans, Mr. Henshaw refers to this spiecies as being 

 common in certain marshy spots close to the sea at Saata Barbara, and as retiring 

 during the day into the beds of tall rushes, which serve to screen it from all enemies 

 as well as from the glaring sun. By the first of July the j'oung were out and able 

 to accompany their parents in search of food. These birds began to be active about 

 sunset, heralding the approach of diisk by loud outcries ; but they were not entirely 

 quiet during the day, being probably forced to forage more or less at that time in 

 order to satisfy the hunger of their young. 



Rallus longirostris. 



THE CLAPPER RAIL. 



((. longirostris. 



Eallus longirostris, BoDD. Tabl. P. E. 1783 (IjaseJ on Rdlc a loiiq bcc, dc Caycmic, Buff. PI. Enl. 



849). 

 Eallus crassirostris, Lawp.. Ann. Lye. N. Y. X. Feb. 1861, in text (Bahia). 



h. crepitans. 



Rallus crcpitmis, Gmel. S. N. I. ii. 17S8, 713 (based on ClapjKr Mail, Penx. Arct. Zool. II. 1781, 

 no. 407). — Wilson, Am. Orn. VII. 1813, 112 (descr. but not the figure !). — Nutt. Man. II. 

 1834, 201. — Aun. Orn. Biog. III. 1835, 231, jiL 214 ; Synop. 1839, 21.'; ; B. Am. V. 1842, 165, 

 111. 310. — B.iiRD, B. N. Am. 1858, 747 ; (.'at. N. Am. B. 1859, no. 653. 



