Wayne: Bibds of South Carolina. 41 



they dive immediately and remain under water for fully five min- 

 utes. It is folly to waste time in following them, as they rise 

 with only the point of the bill out of water. 



The nests are commenced about May 5, and are built in the 

 wampee and rushes, invariably over water, and are made of 

 half decayed leaves of these plants. They are substantially built 

 and well secured to the wampee as it grows in the water. The 

 birds have regular trodden paths leading to their nests, and strange 

 to relate, there are always three or four nests in different stages 

 of completion near each nest which contains eggs. The eggs 

 range from four to nine in number, are of a pale cream or yellow- 

 ish color, spotted with brown and lilac, and measure 1.60X1-15. 

 Full complements of eggs are to be obtained by May 21st. I have 

 seen but one of these birds apparently incubating, and that was 

 on May 29, 1890. Since the eggs were fresh, however, she may 

 have been laying, and I really believe the eggs are hatched by 

 the decomposition of the vegetable matter which composes the 

 nest. The breeding season must be long, for I had a very young 

 bird in the down sent me alive from Yemassee on September 17, 

 1887. These young can be very easily raised, becoming tame 

 very soon. The Purple Gallinule feeds largely upon rice during 

 the autumn. 



Audubon states in Birds of America, 1 that "in South Caro- 

 lina it is rare, ' ' and, ' ' I have found young birds in their jetty down 

 clothing in February," and he also says: "My friend Bachman 

 considers this species as rather scarce in South Carolina 

 and Georgia." As I have already pointed out, this species is 

 common in South Carolina, as well as in Georgia, and it breeds 

 in May and not in February. 



87. Gallinula galeata (Licht.). Florida Gallinule. 2 

 The Florida Gallinule is a much less common species than the 

 Purple Gallinule, but it is found in the same localities, arrives 

 earlier, and hence breeds earlier. 



The nest, which is composed of the same materials as that of 

 the preceding species, is also placed over water, and the eggs, which 

 range from six to thirteen, are buffy or ochraceous buff, spotted 

 and speckled with reddish brown. They measure 1.75X1.20. 



IV, 129. 



2 A Florida Gallinule was taken on the mud flats at the foot of Council St., Charleston 

 May 19, 1906, and is now in the Charleston Museum (Spec. No. 947). — Ed. 



