CALIFORNIA BLACK RAIL 305 



Makks for riELD IDENTIFICATION — Very small size (our smallest rail, about 

 the bulk of a Least Sandpiper), black bill, and black-appearing plumage with 

 small white dots. Young rails of all species are, as far as known to us, solidly 

 black, without any white spots. 



Voice — Clee-cle, clee-ee (accent falling on first syllable of last word) uttered 

 chiefly during early mating season, and also in protest against intruders (Huey, 

 1916, pp. 58-59). 



Nest — On salt marsh, composed of stems of pickle-weed (Salicornia) loosely 

 laid together and situated on ground, or more often on a platform of matted 

 pickle-weed a few inches above the ground, and usually concealed by arching 

 stems of the same and other plants (Ingersoll, 1909, p. 124). 



Eggs — 4 to 8, bluntly ovate to almost elliptical in shape, measuring in 

 inches, 0.87 to 1.06 by 0.69 to 0.75 (in millimeters, 22.1 to 27.0 by 17.5 to 19.0), 

 and averaging 0.96 by 0.72 (24.4 by 18.3) (three sets, and one single, fourteen 

 eggs, from San Diego County, California) ; ground color white with a scarcely 

 perceptible tinge of pink, with surface spots of reddish brown and deeper 

 ones of lavender. 



General distribution — Pacific Coast of the United States from Puget Sound 

 to northern Lower California. Only known breeding ground on salt marshes 

 in vicinity of San Diego Bay, California (Cooke, 1914, pp. 35-36). 



Distribution in California — Fairly common fall and winter visitant to the 

 salt marshes on the San Francisco Bay shores of San Mateo and Alameda 

 counties, and at head of Tomales Bay, Marin County (many specimens). Also 

 in smaller numbers interiorly: Martinez, Contra Costa County (Cooper, 1868, 

 p. 8); Stockton, San Joaquin County (Belding, 1879, p. 443), and Suisun 

 marshes, Solano County (Mus. Vert. Zool.) ; and southerly: Santa Cruz (Emer- 

 son, 1904, p. 38) ; Hueneme, Ventura County (Willett, 1912a, p. 33) ; Orange, 

 Orange County, and Ballona, Los Angeles County (Grinnell, 1898, p. 15) ; and 

 Eiverside (L. Miller, 1893, p. 104). Twice taken on the Farallon Islands 

 (Brewster, 1907, p. 205; Mus. Vert. Zool.). . Fairly common throughout the 

 year and breeds regularly on the salt marshes adjacent to San Diego Bay 

 (Stephens, 1909, pp. 47-48; Ingersoll, 1909, p. 123; Cooke, 1914, p.. 36; Huey, 

 1916, p. 59). 



The California Black Rail is the smallest species of the rail family- 

 found in the United States, and differs but slightly from the Black 

 Rail of the eastern states. Neither of these small species appears to 

 he abundant, but as their habits are very seelusive their actual num- 

 bers are probably greater than is generally believed. The range of 

 the California Black Rail is limited to the Pacific coast and is separated 

 from that of its eastern relative by a broad interval comprising the 

 Rocky Mountain region. The present species has been recorded as a 

 winter visitant from various points within this state. At San Diego it 

 is evidently present throughout the year. 



The small size, dark coloration, white-dotted back, and black bill 

 constitute a sufficient number of field marks to identify this rail under 

 favorable circumstances of observation. But it keeps so to cover and 

 is so seldom flushed, that a full view of it is rarely obtained, even 

 when a person is making a special search for the bird. It frequents 



