NATURAL HISTORY OF THE KING RAIL 



85 



Along the low banks of the canals, and sometimes partially sub- 

 merged in the alligatorweed, numerous alligators, some 5 to 6 feet 

 in length, sun themselves on warm spring days (fig. 14). They lie 

 motionless for several hours at a time, and if they move there is 

 simply a splash and complete submergence. It would seem that, to a 

 waterbird wading around in the canal, an alligator sunning along 

 the water's edge would look like another one of the many logs lying 

 half submerged in the alligatorweed. But this is not the case. Kails, 

 gallinules, and other birds feeding in the canal recognize the alligator 

 as an enemy and usually give it a wide berth. Sometimes, however, 

 they feed to within 2 feet of an alligator before circling the animal or 

 retreating. 



SOME UNUSUAL OBSERVATIONS 



A very unusual feeding performance was recorded by Earle McPeak 

 (Trautman, 1940, p. 230) at Buckeye Lake, Ohio. On June 11, 1929, 

 an adult King Eail was observed to uncover, break, and eat five eggs 

 of a painted turtle {Chrysemys ficta)^ which on the preceding day 

 McPeak had watched the turtle lay in a hole and cover with earth. 



Another unusual field observation concerned the capture and 

 devouring of a Semipalmated Sandpiper {Ereunetes pusill/us) by a 

 King Eail. E. D. Greaves (Chamberlain, 1960, p. 443) reported this 

 incident, which took place at Pea Island, N.C., May 22, 1960 : 



The rail darted out of the grass, picked the sandpiper from a feeding flocl^ 

 and after stabbing it repeatedly, pulled it apart and devoured it. 



In June 1960, at low tide in Taylor's Gut, Kent County, Del., I 

 saw a King Eail pursue and peck laJt a 3 -foot-long water snake {Natrios 

 sp.) for a distance of some 50 feet. Finally, the snake stopped and 

 remained motionless for about 2 minutes as the rail continued to peck 

 at it. Eventually each took off in a different direction. Possibly the 

 rail was chasing the snake out of its nesting territory rather than 

 pursuing it for food. 



At Grand Chenier, La., March 1956, I observed a rail catch a crab 

 in an open spot in the marsh. As the rail headed for cover to feed on 

 the morsel, it was harassed so much by a Boat-tailed Grackle {Cassi- 

 dix mexicanm) that it surrendered the crab to the blackbird. 



N'auman (1927, p. 218) reported the following unusual feeding 

 activity which took place at his home in Iowa during a snow storm. 

 On April 16, 1921, when there were 8 inches of snow on the ground, a 

 King Eail was observed walking around on the porch picking up 

 bread crumbs. Until the snow melted, it returned to the porch on 

 numerous occasions to feed on crumbs. 



At the Patuxent Wildlife Eesearch Center, a captive 10-month-old 

 female King Eail attempted to eat a mouse and choked to death. 



