


THE CLAPPER RAIL. 601 
believed, than when looking over a peck, more or less, of 
these rails’ eggs. They seemed to differ among themselves 
about as much as the same number of common fowls’ eggs 
would. Let me illustrate by giving the measurements of 
half a dozen, selected as representing extremes :— 
No. 1. The longest one, 1.80X 1.10; PE Rt the ends about equally 
pointed; greatest diameter in M mid 
No. x, The slenderest one, 1.66X 1.00; same shape. 
. A small one, 1.50X 1.05; mr Siritir oval, pointed; greatest 
air across an third. 
No. t A thick one, 1.60X 1.16; a regular **oval" in shape 
o. 5. Another thick one, 1.70X 1.20; like No. 4, but more obtuse at the 
sane nd. 
. The shortest, and a very thick one for its length, 1.50X 1.15; very 
eal oval, or sub-spherical; diameter across the middle; scarcely 
appreciable difference between the two ends. 
$ 
So the eges of Rallus crepitans are an inch and two-thirds 
long, by an inch and one-tenth broad; narrowly or broadly 
oval; narrowly or broadly elliptical, or nearly spherical. 
The ground color ranges from a dull opaque white to a 
creamy or pale buff. They are rather sparsely, oftener very 
thiekly, marked with spots evenly or very irregularly dis- 
tributed over the surface; the spots varying from mere dots 
to large splashes, both on the same, or on different eges. 
But when the markings vary in size an the same egg they 
are always largest Mid most numerous towards or at the butt, 
where also they are apt to run together; while they usually 
remain distinct on other parts of the shell. But it is not 
confluence of the small spots that makes the longer splashes ; 
these are of a different character. The former are usually 
roundish, with a distinct contour; the latter have no definite 
shape. In color the markings are always reddish brown; 
whether paler or darker, they have the rusty or reddish 
tint, and are never pure brown. There are a number of 
other spots, more obseure than either of the foregoing, ap- 
pearing as if in the shell instead of on the surface; these 
are some shade of lavender, lilac, or very pale purplish. — 
AMER. NATURALIST, VOL. II. 46 

