'284 



THE CANADIAN SPORTSMAN AND NATURALIST. 



of these ponds contain water throughout the 

 year, but owing to the continuous rain-fall of 

 <he past summer they have been constantly 

 full. In some of those laklets there are islets 

 covered with grass ; on others tall flags and 

 bunch grass have grown, while a few of them 

 are partially open. It was between the most 

 western part of these ponds that I was passing 

 when I caught sight of this rail, and as I 

 approached to get a nearer view, I was sur- 

 prised to see it appearently walking on the 

 water, and then, as I drew still nearer, it rose, 

 flew over to an islet in the centre of the pond, 

 where it disappeared. The stranger was doubt- 

 less a rail and upon reaching home I informed 

 my family of the interesting ornithological dis- 

 covery, also stating my belief that the strange 

 voices that we had heard among the flags for 

 some time past was now solved, and with the 

 hope of making further interesting " fiuds *' 

 among the rushes, we determined to follow 

 the search next day. Accordingly, I waded out 

 to the islet where the bird had flown the even: 

 ing before, but made no discovery. I was 

 about to return when I got a sight of the bird 

 rising from some bunch grass. that rose out of 

 the water near the road where we had re- 

 passed almost every day since the opening of 

 spring. On examining the place I was delighted 

 with a view of a nest placed in a tuft of grass ; 

 it contained six eggs. This nest was farmed 

 of course dry grass, partly interwoven with the 

 standing stalks, and raised to nearly a toot 

 above the water. The eggs though much 

 smaller, were of the same color, and marking 

 as those of the American coot, being of a 

 fleshy-brown, or dull yellow hue, dotted with 

 different shades of purplish-brown, and aver- 

 aging about one inch in length. These I took 

 and though considerably incubated, I suc- 

 ceeded in saving them for my collection. 

 After this "find" I proceeded with my boys 

 to make •<* further search among the flags and 

 grasses of the other ponds. We reflushed the 

 bird and we were interested and amused at its 

 peculiar movements in the water, and her 

 mode of concealment among the water grasses. 

 In the third pond I discovered another nest. 

 It was similarly situated to tlie first one, but 

 more concealed among tall flags. The female 

 was sitting on it, but when I approached with- 

 in a few feet, she leaped from the nest into the 

 water. This nest contained nine eggs, and 

 one young bird which also took to the water, 

 and exhibited much agility at swimming and 

 concealment. I caught it and noticed that it 



was covered with black down, having a bright 

 yellow spot on the throat, and a scarlet mark 

 around the base of the bill. It uttered a plain- 

 tive cry somewhat like that of a young Spotted 

 Sand-piper. Its alarms brought both the 

 parents toward it ; they splashed in the water, 

 uttering notes resembling the " crake " of the. 

 Guinea-fowl, when excited. The common call 

 of these rails resemble a shrill '" peep," re- 

 peated a few times and ending in a rapid 

 twitter. The eggs in this nest were nearly 

 incubated, and when I returned to it some days 

 after, three of the young were hatched and 

 departed, the rest of the eggs were in the nest ; 

 these I attempted to blow, but only succeded 

 in the case of two, which were only partly 

 incubated. I also noticed in the case of the 

 first nest, that some of the eggs were much 

 more hatched then others, Irom which it would 

 seem that incubation begins when the first,egg 

 is laid and t I would alsojnferjhat the male 

 takes charge of the first part of the brood, 

 while the female if not disturbed still remains 

 on the nest until the whole or greater part of 

 her set are hatched. I also found several other 

 nests among tiie flags, but' no more eggs of 

 this species, but in one nest on a small islet, 

 which appeared Jjo r have, contained ^a, large 

 number, I found an addled egg, which, how- 

 ever, from its larger size, andj different mark- 

 ings I think belonged to- another species, per- 

 haps the Virginian Rail, which I have reason 

 to believe nested here, earlier in the season. 

 From reading, and other sources, I conclude 

 that this., bird isj the^Sora,. or Carolina Kail 

 (Porzana Carolina). Up to the early days of 

 October, we occasionally heard the notes, or 

 saw specimens of the birds among the flags, 

 or by the margins of the ponds. On the 6th 

 of that month, we picked up one of this spicies 

 — dead — but appearently uninjured and in full 

 plumage. It may have been killed by the 

 severe frost of the previous night. Intending, 

 if acceptable, to continue my observations of 

 our feathered visitant, I remain your truly, 



William L. Kells. 

 Listowel, Ontario. 



ST. NICHOLAS A. A. 



In the November number of the Si. Nicholas 

 there appeared a suggestion, for the organ- 

 ization of a National Association for the 

 Study of Nature, which met with a qualify- 

 ing response as it was unexpected. The eager 



