163 



THE OOLOGIST. 



that the ground color could hardly be 

 seen. 



Eggs of this Rail vary greatly in 

 shape, size, color and marking. The 

 set found this year averages .94 inches 

 minor axis, by 1.25 inches, mejor axis. 



I do not think this nest contained a 

 full complement, as I have never found 

 a set of less than ten eggs in the large 

 number of sets that I have found in the 

 past few years, although sets of less 

 than this number are often found. 



I did not see the female again after 

 she had been so rudely forced from the 

 nest, but I could hear her ki-ki-ki, oc- 

 casionally, as she splashed around in 

 the water, while I was taking the di- 

 mensions of the nest and eggs and se- 

 curing a photograph of the same. 



These Rails arrive in large numbers 

 during the month of April, and a few 

 weeks later nest building begins. 



Their food at this time of the year 

 consists of worms, slugs, tadpoles, in- 

 sects and leaves and seeds of water 

 plants which they seek among the reeds 

 and rushes along the edge of the lake. 

 They are generally quite retiring dur- 

 ing the heated part of the day, but in 

 the early morning, and after the sun 

 begins to dip toward the west in late 

 afternoon, they are busily engaged in 

 searching for food, and their cries and 

 calls are heard on all sides. I have 

 often amused myself when returning 

 home late in the day, by throwing 

 stones into the lake near some point 

 where the cat-tail rushes grew quite 

 abundant near the edge; and then lis- 

 tening to the grand chorus of voices 

 that my effort had brought forth. 



When surprised they will either run 

 out of sight in the rushes, or fly a few 

 yards and drop to the ground again. 

 They are, to all appearances, very poor 

 fliers, and can be easily killed while on 

 the wing. 



They generally rise to a certain height 

 when startled, seldom more than six or 

 eight feet, and shoot straight ahead 



toward a certain point, fly in a bee-line 

 until they reach it, and then drop out 

 of sight. 



The flight is awkward and slow, with 

 the legs hanging down, and for a short 

 distance only, except during migration. 

 They are very good swimmers and div- 

 ers, however, and very rapid runners. 



The young take to the water as soon 

 as hatched, where they are as perfectly 

 at home as voung ducks. They swim 

 surprisinglg well, and follow the par- 

 ents in search of food until they are 

 able to care for themselves. 



When a female with young is taken 

 by surprise, there is a great commotion 

 and hub-bub. The young swim rapid- 

 ly off, or hide in the grass, while the 

 faithful mother scurries hither and 

 thither in nervous excitment and alarm. 

 If you remain motionless for a few 

 minutes, she will summon her little 

 ones to her side with a curious soft note, 

 and they will go to feeding again as if 

 nothing had happened to disturb them. 



In the spring of '01, while hunting 

 for nests of the Yellow-headed Black- 

 bird and the Song Sparrow near Cedar 

 Lake, I found an uncompleted nest of 

 this rail in a shallow pool in the center 

 of a bed of cat-tail rushes, and had just 

 made up my mind to secure that set, 

 but about the middle of May, when I 

 again visited the place I found the re- 

 mains of six eggs in the nest — brokeu 

 shells and shattered hopes. 



What had done the mischief I never 

 knew, but I had my suspicions; a pair 

 of Bronzed Grackles had a nest not far 

 off, and a pair of noisy Blue Jays were 

 making themselves quite conspicuous 

 by their loud clamoring. 



That wasn't the first and only lime 

 that my good nature has been tampered 

 with by these egg eaters, and when I 

 am imposed upon in such a manner as 

 above described, I am willing to fight. 



Glen M. Hathokn, 

 Cedar Rapids, la. 



