53 



Rail on the nest, bnt then both sexes assist in incubation and 

 few birds sit closer. On May 20, 1901, I was collecting these 

 rails and Macgillivray's Sparrows in a marsh where the coarse 

 grass grew rather thinly and few clumps were over a foot in 

 height. Here I fired several shots at a sparrow, and tramped 

 back and forth to flush it or find the nest I thought was 

 there. Failing, I went to another part of the marsh, but 

 returned shortly to the same spot with two other men and 

 the dog I have mentioned and fired another shot or so from 

 my auxiliary barrel. Suddenly the dog pointed, and from 

 between another man and myself, who were standing about 

 two feet apart, flew a Wayne's Rail. She had remained on 

 her nest through all this confusion in a cover so scanty that 

 from where we were standing we could see the eggs as soon 

 as she left them. This bird flew about one hundred and 

 fifty yards and was caught by the dog almost as soon as 

 she touched the marsh. The twelve eggs were heavily 

 incubated. 



Agelaius phoeniceus floridanus. Florida Redaving. 



This subspecies has been reported breeding in western 

 Florida and Louisiana, but I am not aware that its eggs 

 have been described. 



Mr. Scott states that it winters near Punta Rassa on the 

 west coast and Mr. Wyatt Meyer and I found it common at 

 Lake Flirt on our arrival there on March 20, 1897, but did 

 not see it at Anclote until March 29, after our return there. 

 On these dates the males greatly outnumbered the females 

 at both places, which would seem to mdicate that the birds 

 had recently arrived from a more southern winter habitat. 

 The habits, so far as I noticed them, were those of the 

 Red-winged Blackbird, but they were not nearly as shy and 

 restless as are the first spring arrivals at our northern 

 marshes. 



Two eggs of this species taken for me by Mr. Meyer at 



