RALLID^B — THE RAILS — RALLUS. 363 



the first of these notes being extremely loud and i-apid, and the later ones lower and 

 protracted. The bird seems to possess the powers of ventriloipiism, so tliat it often 

 appears much nearer than it really is. 



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

 tide, in the same manner as is practised near I'hiladelphia in hunting the Sora Kail, 

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



Mr. Moore states that he has measured, in one instance, the footprints of the 

 Clapper Eail, made on a smooth sandbar, and found the interval between them, for 

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

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

 the tarsus is borne in mind, this being only '2.75 inches. The largest stride of a 

 Canada Crane is only 19.50 inches. The interval between the footprints of the Great 

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

 found in one of these birds June (ith ; and five young birds, only a few days old, were 

 seen Aug. 4, 1873. 



The ground-color of the eggs of this species is usually a pale cream, but nu;ch 

 deeper than that of R. degans. The markings are also much more numerous than 

 in those of the latter, but essentially of the same tints — dark purplish brown and a 

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

 taken by Dr. Bachman, measiu'e : one 1.60 inches in length by 1.17 in breadth, the 

 other 1.70 by 1.20. 



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

 1.10 inches, the smallest 1.50 by 1.05, the most oblong 1.60 by 1.00, etc. The ground- 

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

 sparsely — with spots and Ijlotches of reddish brown and obscure lilac and slate. 



Rallus virginianus. 

 THE VIRGINIA RAIL; LITTLE RED-BREASTED RAIL. 



Rallus virginianus, Linn. S. jST. L 1766, 263 (based on Catesb. 70 ; Brisk. V. 175). — WiLS. Am. 



Oin. VIL 1813, 109, pi. 62, fig. 1. — NuTT. Man. IL 1834, 205 ; Ato. Oru. Biog. III. 1835, 



41 ; V. 1839, 573, pi. 205 ; B. Am. V. 1842, 174, i)l. 311. — Baird, B. N. Am. 1858, 748 ; 



Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, no. 554. — CouES, Key, 1872, 273; Check List, 1873, no. 467; 2d ed. 



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



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

 Rallus aquaticus, var. ^, Lath. Ind. Oni. II. 1790, 755. 

 Rallus limicola, Vikill. Ency. Mi'tli. 1823, 1059. 



Hab. The whcile of temperate North America as far as the British Pro\'inces, south to Guate- 

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



Sp. Char. Adult: A miniature of R. degans, hut more deeply colored. Above, olivaceous, 

 heavily striped ■with black ; wing-coverts chestnut-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, 

 foreneck, jugulum, breast, sides, and alxlomen, sometimes throat also, cinnamon, the middle of the 

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

 lining of wing du.sky, the feathers tipped and bordered with white. Dmonij young : Glossy black ; 

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

 blackish in front of the nostril and on base of mandible. Young (first plumage) : " Top and sides 

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



1 A specimen was sent by Captain Bendire to the National Museum from Walla AValla, Washington 

 Territory, which was shot there Jan. 16, 1879, when the snow was more than a foot deep ! 



