122 BIRDS OF ONTARIO. 



its life is spent mostly among the rank vegetation of the marsh, 

 where it cannot be seen, it may not be so rare as we suppose. 



I mention it here on the authority of the late Dr. Cottle, of 

 Woodstock, who, in an article in the Canadian Journal for Sep- 

 tember, 1859, claims to have found a bird of this species near Inger- 

 soU in 1857, which at the time of his writing was in the collection of 

 Wm. Poole, jun. 



I have not seen this specimen, but I knew Dr. Cottle, and feel 

 sure that no mistake would be made in the identification. There is 

 no reason why the Black Rail should not be found in Ontario, for it 

 occurs to the east and west of us, and will yet, I expect, be found 

 in one or more of the many suitable haunts which occur throughout 

 the Province. 



The Dundas marsh is exactly the sort of place where one might 

 expect to meet with this species. The marsh extends from the 

 Hamilton city limits about four miles westward to the town of 

 Dundas, and has an average width of a mile, with many inlets wind- 

 ing inland. The banks are generally steep and wooded, and the 

 water in the summer is covered with aquatic plants and clumps of 

 floating bog. Malaria reigns there, and there are mosquitoes in 

 abundance. 



About 1873-74, I heard that a young man, named Nash, was 

 diligently exploring this uninviting locality, to find out what birds 

 were there during the summer, and that he had been successful in his 

 researches ; but he left for the North- West about that time, and the 

 matter was forgotten. 



On learning that Mr. Nash had quite recently returned to reside 

 in Toronto, I wrote to him on the subject, and promptly received the 

 following reply, which came to me while the first part of this article 

 was passing through the hands of the printer : 



"Toronto, January 12th, 1894. 

 "Thos. McIlwkaith, Esq. 



"Dear Sir, — My original note as to the capture of the Black Rails is as 

 follows : 



" 'August 18th, 1874. — Shot four of these birds this evening at the upper 

 end of the Dundas marsh. My dogs put them up where the rushes had been 

 mowed. This is the first time I ever noticed them here. ' 



' ' After this date I saw several others about the same place, during this 

 same year (1874). I also shot a few Yellow Rails, and saw many. 



' ' Yours, etc. , 



"C. W. Nash.- 



