THE OOLOQI8T 



109 



each time, a similar bunch of new 

 rushes about six inches across, rushes 

 which had been recently torn and 

 piled and we concluded that these 

 were the platforms upon which they 

 intended later to build their nests. 

 Here we heard the occasional holler 

 of the Sora Rail, but we caught sight 

 of but one, and that was one we 

 flushed as we were leaving the lake, 

 fairly well disappointed, for we had 

 not made a single find. But here in 

 front of us was a nest of a Sora Rail 

 woven thickly with grasses which 

 held the clump of grass together in 

 which the nest was built. They are 

 not excellent weavers, but the nest 

 sits low down where the grass stumps 

 are stiffer and support the structure. 

 We took the nest home with us after 

 cutting the clump of short grass be- 

 low the nest, but really after we had 

 it home, it resembled more a bunch 

 of old hay twisted in a knot. But in 

 the nest were seven light brown eggs, 

 sparsely dotted with rather large dots 

 of dark brown and lilac. Examination 

 proved them to be well along in in- 

 cubation, but we considered our find 

 too rare to leave. 



It was now late and we were a long 

 way from home. After a quick repast, 

 we set out and to gain time, we at- 

 tempted to cross the prairie. We got 

 into very rough uneven land and our 

 car got several sudden jolts, hard 

 enough ot break our eggs, we thought, 

 and we had to stop to pack them 

 more securely. I tell this incident 

 merely because of the bearing it has 

 upon what follows. Our arrival home, 

 although long after dark, was safe. 



We did not have time to attend to 

 the blowing of our eggs the next day, 

 nor the evening of that day; but after 

 I had crawled into bed that night, I was 

 aroused by the ring of the telephone 

 about 10:30. My friend Bud had news 

 worth the calling. One of our Sora 



Rail eggs had hatched, and a strong, 

 black, hairy, rather well feathered 

 creature was struggling to get un- 

 tangled from the cotton and out onto 

 the fioor. He brought it right over 

 and we gave it water and a fly. It 

 was able to walk and, with its red 

 comb, looked rather proud, as much 

 as to say, "You can't prevent me from 

 seeing the light of day." After all the 

 jolting we gave those eggs in the auto, 

 after a night and a day and a part of 

 the next night away from its nest 

 and the warmth of the parent rail, 

 this young Sora picked his way out of 

 his shell, not to the light of way, but 

 to a 40 watt tungsten. It lived a day 

 • and a night, but the next day it died. 

 We didn't prove to be good mothers. 

 Thus ended our experience among 

 the sloughs and aquatic fowl and water 

 birds. 



L. E. Healy. 



The Birds Observed on a City Lot. 



This lot is located in Bethany, a 

 suburb of the east side of Lincoln, 

 Nebraska. The country here is high, 

 open, and slightly rolling. The homes 

 are scattered; about two-thirds of the 

 lots being vacant. There is quite a 

 growth of trees which have been 

 planted for shade with here and there 

 a small grove. The nearest water is 

 a creek, two or three miles away, and 

 a small branch, about a mile distant, 

 which is usually dry and represented 

 by an occasional mud hole. There are 

 no public fountains and the quest for 

 drink must be a serious question for 

 our feathered friends. 



The hardy little English sparrow, 

 now so common throughout the middle 

 west, is with us all the year round, 

 and although troublesome at times 

 and despised by many, is a constant 

 representative of the inhabitants of 

 the air; and its little note of gladness 

 over stray crumbs or calls of concern 



