198 



THE OOLOGIST 



er here far from water as he can be 

 met with during the nesting season in 

 almost any locality. But his favorite 

 nesting place seems to be the seep 

 draws of the irrigation localities. 



James A. Neilson, 

 Wheatland, Wyoming. 



HAUNTS AND HABITS OF THE 

 YELLOW RAIL 



The attention of the readers of The 

 Oologist is called to an advertisement 

 elsewhere in this issue of the maga- 

 zine, in regard to matters germaine 

 to the above title. Inasmuch as this 

 is not a matter of profit with me, but 

 simply of getting into the hands of in- 

 terested ornithologists a most valu- 

 able monograph obtainable only of my- 

 self, I trust the editor of The Oologist 

 will, with his accustomed generosity, 

 give place for what I am here setting 

 down. It has been said of me, by one 

 who knows, that "Mr. Peabody is un- 

 doubtedly the highest, as he is almost 

 the exclusive authority on the breed- 

 ing habits of the Yellow Rail. (His 

 incursions in quest of the nests of this 

 rare bird have given us) one of the 

 outstanding romances" of ornithologi- 

 cal literature. 



The Annual in which my monograph 

 has been published was an edition of 

 800 copies only. It reaches a limited 

 clientele of bird students; and I have 

 felt most reluctant that the fascmat- 

 ing account of my twenty years of Yel- 

 low Rail study should fail to reach 

 the hundreds of people that may 

 never see the Annual in question. I 

 have therefore taken the great risk 

 of ordering a large number of sepa- 

 rates, for which I have paid a high 

 price, (so great the cost of paper and 

 printing nowadays). In order, event- 

 ually to pay out, on this proposition, 

 I am offering copies of the separate. 



which contains unique photographs, 

 one of these by Norman A. Wood, be- 

 ing the only photograph extant of a 

 live Yellow Rail, for fifty cents each. 

 But, the signed copies thus sent out 

 will contain two inserts of contact 

 prints of rare interest, from negatives 

 too delicate to half-tone well; and al- 

 so a brief note as to the unusual find- 

 ing of 1922. I am also negotiating 

 with wonderful Mr. Brownell, with a 

 view to the securing, from him, of 

 colored contact prints of the exquisite 

 set of 1912 eggs, all capped with ma- 

 hogany and lilac, at the apex. These 

 will cost, I imagine, about fifty cents 

 each, an additional cost all of which 

 will go, of course, to Mr. Brownell. To 

 those that may not care to afford all 

 this additional cost, I will gladly fur- 

 nish an insert, contact print, of this 

 subject, for an added ten cents. The 

 cost of the separates will thus be, 

 fifty and sixty cents, each, prepaid. 



Inasmuch as no other North Ameri- 

 can bird nests quite like the Yellow 

 Rail, and since a large amount of 

 other fascinating detail other than 

 that germaine to the fugitive bird in 

 question, is contained in my mono- 

 graph. I feel absolutely certain that 

 readers of The Oologist will find my 

 separate very delightful reading. Not 

 because I have compiled it; but be- 

 cause it really is, as has been said, 

 "an outstanding romance." 



P. B. Peabody. 



JUST A FEW CHOICE ONES 



We have recently added to our col- 

 lection a set of Whooping Crane's 

 eggs, taken in North Western Iowa in 

 1871, by one of the best known collect- 

 ors and naturalists in America, which 

 has always been kept away from the 

 light, moisture and dust and is in a 

 truly splendid condition. Likewise a 

 set of Buffle-head Ducks, and last and 

 not least 1-5 Yellow Rail Specimens of 

 these kinds are not easily acquired. 

 R. M. Barnes. 



