NATURAL HISTORY OF THE KING RAIL 



15 



On July 8, 1966, the same color-marked adult, its mate, and their 

 brood of eight 2- week-old chicks were trapped in Knowles 1, 50 feet 

 from where the color-marked adult had nested the previous year. The 

 unhanded adult and the chicks were banded when trapped. 



On July 16, two of the eight chicks were captured and the rest of 

 the family was observed on an island in Knowles 2, 0.4 mile from the 

 site of their original capture in Knowles 1 on July 8. To reach the 

 island in Knowles 2, the 3 -week-old flightless chicks had not only 

 walked nearly half a mile but had swum across 60 feet of open water 

 that had a depth of 3 feet. 



