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A BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE 



DEVOTED TO THE STUDY AND PROTECTION OF BIRDS 



Official Organ of The Audubon Societies 



Vol. XIX September— October, 1917 No. 5 



The Summer Life of the Virginia Rail 



By VERDI BURTCH, Branchport, N. Y. 

 With photographs by the author 



A RRIVING in the marsh at Branchport, N. Y., the last week in April, the 

 r^ Virginia Rail at once makes itself at home, and its grunts and calls can 

 be heard every day from all parts of the marsh. Keeping close in the 

 grass and flags it is seldom seen, but when disturbed it utters a sharp kep^ 

 and then a grunting noise which is very like the grunting of a pig calling for 

 its dinner. This note is uttered by both sexes. Early in May in the evening 

 and in lowery weather we hear the love-song of the male, kid kid-ic kid-ic 

 kid-ic kid-ic kid-ic, he says, then moves along a little way and repeats, kid 

 kid-ic kid-ic kid-ic kid-ic kid-ic kid-ic, sometimes keeping it up for hours at a 

 time. 



The nesting habits of this beautiful Rail are very interesting, but to study 

 them successfully requires much patience on the part of the observer. A site is 

 chosen in a tuft of grass around the edge of the swamp or near a bunch of 

 bushes. Sometimes it is in a low bush or in a bunch of dead weeds, and again 

 it will be out in the water in the cat- tails. The nest itself is of dead grasses and 

 flags and is cunningly concealed by arranging the dead grass and flags about 

 it in a very natural manner. Later, the growing grass and flags conceal it 

 very effectively. If one gets near the nest he is almost sure to hear the note 

 of alarm and the grunting of the birds as they move rapidly around through 

 the weeds. 



On May ii, 1908, the eggs were just beginning to hatch in a nest that I 

 had found some few days before, and, as I approached, the female slipped 

 from the nest and away through the cat-tails. She was quickly followed by 

 the two little ones, although they were but a few hours old. The nest was 

 surrounded by water so the birds had to swim, but even then they managed 

 to elude me. Hoping to get a picture of the nest and eggs I set up my camera, 

 and, while focusing, the mother appeared, carrying one of the little ones in 

 her bill, dropped it into the nest, went on, and settled down to brood. 



