220



On Abbott's Rail.



eat almost anything at once, but did not become, nor are they yet

(two years afterwards) any more familiar than they were on their

native island. They have well developed wings, but do not

appear to fly, although they can do so, as I have seen the in¬

dividuals in the Western Aviary, Zoological Gardens, perched

on the highest perches. This rail is peculiar to the Island of

Assumption, and although closely resembling it, is quite distinct

from the rail of Aldabra Island, only some 40 miles away. There

appeared to be 110 springs of fresh water on Assumption, with the

exception of numerous puddles of rain water, but as there are

several land birds, viz., a dove, a ground cuckoo, and a Sunbird,

all peculiar to the Island, the supply must be a constant one.

The numbers of this rail are probably kept in check by rats, of

which we saw a few, and also the cocoa-nut crab (Birgas latro )

of which there appear to be a fair number. The two rails that

we brought back to England on the “Valhalla” would certainly

have bred had they not both been of the same sex.


a- %


The following is the account given by Mr. M. J. Nicoll in

his extremely interesting work “ Three Voyages of a Naturalist ”

which, as it enters somewhat more fully into the notes of the

bird than in Mr. Meado-Waldo’s article, may I think be repro¬

duced here with benefit to our readers ; he says pp. 10S, 109 and

hi :—


“ On first entering the belt of trees and low bushes which

fringes the shore, we were greeted by a chorus of squeals and

grunts, as though a litter of pigs were hidden in the cover. This

remarkable noise proceeded from a number of rails,* birds much

like our water-rail but rather more stoutly built, and with wine-

red breasts, barred on the flanks and belly with black and white.

These rails were very tame, and walked about close to us in a

perfectly unconcerned manner. We never saw one of them fly,

or even try to do so : they trusted entirely to their legs when

pursued. In several patches of bush we came across family

parties of them, and although the young were mostly full-grown

and feathered, we saw several which were still covered with black

down. They were found 011 all parts of the island, except on



* Rallus abbotti.



