358 
ALECTORIDES. 
In the “American Naturalist” for February, 1874, Mr. Ridgway calls attention 
for the first time to what he then considered a Pacific variety of R. elegans. He 
now regards it as a probably good and distinct species. The type was taken by Dr. 
Suckley in San Francisco in March, 1857. 
Little is known as to its distinctive manners or habits. With regard to this form 
we have but few notes from any of the writers on the birds of the Pacific coast, and 
all these were written with the belief that the bird referred to by them was really 
the R. elegans. Dr. Cooper, in his manuscript notes, makes mention of this species as 
having been met with by himself ; and considering it to be the supposed Fresh-water 
King Kail, he expresses his surprise at finding it by no means confined to the fresh- 
water marshes. The same writer also mentions having heard the notes of Rails 
in the Colorado and Mojave valleys ; these may possibly have been individuals of 
the Virginia Rail. The season of the year was the winter and early spring. Since 
then he has found this species common on the coast, at all seasons of the year, as 
far north as San Francisco. He found it frequenting indifferently both the salt 
marshes and the fresh ; but it conceals itself so completely, that it can be very rarely 
obtained, or even seen, except when started by a dog. 
Dr. Cooper once found one of these birds concealed in a hole among some rock 
sand ; and instead of making for the marshes, it flew out to sea and settled upon the 
water. At San Pedro, during the extremely high tides of July, the same observer 
procured several examples of this species. They were all young birds, but fully 
grown. They had been driven from the marshy islands by the overflow, and were 
floating about perched upon pieces of wood, waiting for the waters to subside. They 
seemed to be perfectly bewildered, and could hardly be induced to take to flight. In 
another part of his manuscript Dr. Cooper dwells upon the fact — unlooked for by 
him — that this bird certainly frequents both brackish water and salt-marshes. 
Mr. J. A. Allen also makes mention of having met with a Rail, supposed at the 
time to be R. elegans , in the Valley of Great Salt Lake ; but this may have been, and 
probably was, the present species. Whatever it was, he found it very abundant there. 
Under the name of Rallus elegans , Mr. Henshaw refers to this species as being 
common in certain marshy spots close to the sea at Santa Barbara, and as retiring 
during the day into the beds of tall rushes, which serve to screen it from all enemies 
as well as from the glaring sun. By the first of July the young were out and able 
to accompany their parents in search of food. These birds began to be active about 
sunset, heralding the approach of dusk by loud outcries ; but they were not entirely 
quiet during the day, being probably forced to forage more or less at that time in 
order to satisfy the hunger of their young. 
Rallus longirostris. 
THE CLAPPER RAIL. 
a. longirostris. 
Rallus longirostris, Bodd. Tabl. P. E. 1783 (based on Rdle d long bcc, de Cayenne, Buff. PI. Enl. 
849). 
Rallus crassirostris, Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. X. Feb. 1861, in text (Baliia). 
b. crepitans. 
Rallus crepitans, Gmel. S. N. I. ii. 1788, 713 (based on Clapper Rail, Penn. Arct. Zool. II. 1781, 
no. 407). — Wilson, Am. Orn. VII. 1813, 112 (descr. but not the figure !). — Nutt. Man. II. 
1834, 201. — Aur>. Orn. Biog. III. 1835, 231, pi. 214 ; Synop. 1839, 215 ; B. Am. V. 1842, 165, 
pi. 310. — Baird, B. N. Am. 1858, 747 ; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, no. 553. 
