56 



NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 67 



ing is in late March (March 25). During March 1952, nearly all King 

 Kails seen were in pairs. 



In Maryland, most clutches are laid between May 15 and June 30. 

 A brood of chicks and their parents were seen by P. J. Van Huizen 

 near the Blackwater River, Dorchester County, on May 21, 1965, giv- 

 ing evidence that some King Rails begin nesting in April. 



In Central Ohio, Milton B. Trautman and R. Bales located 42 nests, 

 34 of which were found in May and 8 in June (M. B. Trautman, per- 

 sonal communication). Seven of the June nests were found during the 

 first half of the month, and 26 of the May nests were found during the 

 last half of that month. From this, the main nesting period seems to 

 extend from May 15 to May 31. 



Table 8. — Nesting dates, clutch size, and habitat of King Rail nests at Stuttgart, Ark. 



Nest 





Number 



Com- 









num- 



Date found 



of eggs 1 



plete 



Number 



Location 



Dominant vegetation 



ber 









clutch 



hatched 













size 2 









1 



Apr. 1, 1952 







11 



8 



Ditch 



Typha latifolia. 



2 



Apr. 10,1952 







2d 





Canal 



Juncus sp. 



3 



Apr. 15,1952 





4 



12 



12 



Ditch 



Typha latifolia. 



4 



Apr. 16,1952 





11 



11 



9 



do 



Grass*^ 



5 



Apr. 21,1952 





10 



10 



9 



do 



Juncus effusus. 



6 



do 





14 



14 



14 



do 



Carex hyalinolepis. 



7 



Apr. 24,1952 





4 



id 



do 



Carex hyalinolepis. 



8 



Apr. 25,1955 





6 







do 



Eleocharis sp. 

 Sedge. 



9 



Apr. 26,1955 





13 







do 



10 



do 





2 







do 



Juncus effusus. 



11 



do 





new 







do 



Juncus effusus. 



12 



May 1, 1952 





1 



Id 





do 



Sedge? 



13 



do 





11 



11 



11 



do 



... Typha latifolia. 



14 



May 2, 1952 





new 



d 





do 



Juncus effusus. 



15 



do 





11 



11 



10 

 8 



do 



Sedge? 



16 



May 5, 1962 





10 



do 



... Carex stipata. 



17 



May 6, 1952 





5 



11 



9 



do 



Juncus effusus. 



18 



May 9, 1950 





4 



5d 





Ricefleld 



Oryza sativa. 



19 



do 





6 



11 





Ditch 



Juncus effusus. 



20 



May 10,1948 





12 



12 





Oat field 



Avena (var.). 



21 



May 10,1952 





9 



9 



9 



Ditch 



Juncus effusus. 



22 



do 





11 



11 



10 



Canal bank 



Bromus secalinus. 



23 



May 11,1952 





12 



12 



10 



Ditch 



Juncus effusus. 



24 



May 12,1962 





12 





(?) 



do 



._. Carex stipata. 



25 



May 13,1952 





10 



10 



0 



do 



... Juncus effusus. 



26 



May 13,1962 





11 





(?) 



do 



Eleocharis palustris. 



27 



May 15,1962 





10 





(?) 



do 



Carex stipata. 



28 



May 26,1952 





2 



2d 





Canal bank 



Grass? 



29 



May 26,1954 





10 





10 



Ditch 



Eleocharis sp. 



30 



May 28,1952 





4 



8 



8 



.....do 



Juncus effusus. 



31 



June 3, 1954 





3 





(?) 



do 



Grass? and sedge? 



32 



June 4, 1952 





eb 





Weedy field 



Avena {var.). 



33 



June 9, 1952 





10 



10 



10 



Canal bank 



Oryza sativa. 



34 



June 13,1952 





7 







Ricefleld 



Paspalum distichum. 



35 

 36 



do 





eb 







Pond edge 



Paspalum distichum. 



do 





eb 







do 



Oryza sativa. 



37 



June 19,1952 





9 



0 





Ricefleld- 



Oryza sativa. 



38 



June 25.1952 





10 



10 





do 



Oryza sativa. 



39 



July 15,1950 



(3). 









do 



Oryza sativa. 



40 



do 



(3). 









do 



Oryza sativa. 



41 



do 











do 



Oryza sativa. 



42 



do 



(»)- 









do 



Oryza sativa. 



43 



do 



(3). 









do 



Oryza sativa. 



44 



July 18,1951 





7 



9 





do 



Oryza sativa. 



45 



Aug. 1, 1950 





6 



8d 





do 



Oryza sativa. 



46 



Aug. 9, 1951 





5 



5d 





do 



Oryza sativa. 



47 



Aug. 9, 1963 





5 



5 



0 



do 



Oryza sativa. 



48 



Aug. 10,1951 





6 



6d 





do 



Oryza sativa. 



49 



Aug. 29.1951 





9 



9 





Ditch 



Echinochloa sp. 



» 6=building; c6 = eggs broken. 



2 d= deserted. 



3 Nest and eggs found; clutch size not recorded. 



