Vol. II, Pt. I] GIFFORD— BIRDS OF THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 13 



while on a trip in January, 1906, thirty were taken in one 

 morning. When we traveled through the heavy undergrowth, 

 their cackling calls were heard on all sides. To obtain speci- 

 mens, it was usually necessary to stand quietly under a tree 

 and clap the hands at intervals. The rails would cackle in 

 response, and, as a rule, the collector would be rewarded by 

 seeing one, or sometimes three or four, step stealthily into the 

 open. 



On James Island, in December, January, and August, they 

 were found in the tall grass, which grew abundantly on the 

 main peak (altitude 2,850 feet). It was a much more diffi- 

 cult matter to capture them than on Indefatigable Island, a 

 long hunt often furnishing only one, or none at all. They 

 traveled through little runways in the grass, and often, when 

 seen, were too close to shoot. Their call notes were similar to 

 those of the rails of Indefatigable Island, and they also re- 

 sponded to the clapping of hands. 



The reproductive organs of specimens taken in November, 

 1905, on Indefatigable Island, and in early January, 1906, on 

 James Island, were somewhat enlarged. A female taken by Mr. 

 Hunter on Abingdon Island on September 21, 1906, contained 

 a well-developed egg, and a male and a female taken by Mr. 

 Beck had enlarged sexual organs. 



There is great variation in the degree of white markings on 

 the lower parts, and on the wing-coverts, back, rump, and 

 upper tail-coverts. The three specimens from Abingdon 

 Island are very sparsely spotted, while the specimen from 

 South Seymour is pretty heavily marked. Birds from Inde- 

 fatigable and James islands show about an equal range of 

 variation — from specimens with practically no spots on the 

 upper parts, to those that are heavily spotted. Both sexes 

 vary equally in this regard. 



The characters^ given to distinguish Crecisciis sharpei from 

 Creciscus spilonotus break down in the Academy series. These 

 characters are : a slight difference in the shade of brown of 

 the back, with difference in size and in amount of white spot- 

 ting. The James Island rails average slightly larger than those 

 from Indefatigable Island, as is shown in Table II, p. 112. 



The male from Abingdon Island measured in the flesh 157.8 

 mm. in length, and 241.3 in extent; while the only male from 



^Nov. Zool., V. 6, p. 185. 



