RALLIDJE — THE RAILS — RALLUS. 
363 
the first of these notes being extremely loud and rapid, and the later ones lower and 
protracted. The bird seems to possess the powers of ventriloquism, so that it often 
appears much nearer than it really is. 
In South Carolina, during the month of October and later, it is hunted at high 
tide, in the same manner as is practised near Philadelphia in hunting the Sora Rail, 
and many are thus obtained. This can only be done during high water. 
Mr. Moore states that he has measured, in one instance, the footprints of the 
Clapper Rail, made on a smooth sandbar, and found the interval between them, for 
several steps, nineteen inches. These must have been impressed when the bird was 
running at its utmost speed. Even then the extent is surprising, when the length of 
the tarsus is borne in mind, this being only 2.75 inches. The largest stride of a 
Canada Crane is only 19.50 inches. The interval between the footprints of the Great 
Blue Heron, in its widest step, is 19.87 inches. An egg with the shell formed was 
found in one of these birds June 6th ; and five young birds, only a few days old, were 
seen Aug. 4, 1873. 
The ground-color of the eggs of this species is usually a pale cream, but much 
deeper than that of 1?. elegans. The markings are also much more numerous than 
in those of the latter, but essentially of the same tints — dark purplish brown and a 
lighter purplish slate. Two eggs in my collection (No. 77), from South Carolina, 
taken by Dr. Bachman, measure : one 1.60 inches in length by 1.17 in breadth, the 
other 1.70 by 1.20. 
The eggs exhibit great variations in size and shape, the largest measuring 1.80 by 
1.10 inches, the smallest 1.50 by 1.05, the most oblong 1.60 by 1.00, etc. The ground- 
color varies from a pale buff to a dirty white. All are marked — more or less 
sparsely — with spots and blotches of reddish brown and obscure lilac and slate. 
Railus virginianus. 
THE VIRGINIA RAIL; LITTLE RED-BREASTED RAIL. 
Railus virginianus, Linn. S. 1ST. I. 1766, 263 (based on Catesb. 70 ; Brass. V. 175). — Wils. Am. 
Orn. VII. 1813, 109, pi. 62, fig. 1. — Nutt. Man. II. 1834, 205 ; Aud. Orn. Biog. III. 1835, 
41 ; V. 1839, 573, pi. 205 ; B. Am. V. 1842, 174, pi. 311. — Baird, B. N. Am. 1858, 748 ; 
Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, no. 554. — Coues, Kejr, 1872, 273; Check List, 1873, no. 467 ; 2d ed. 
1882, no. 677 ; Birds N. W. 1874, 536. — IIidgw. Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, V. no. 3, 1880, 140 ; 
Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 572. 
Railus aquaticus, var. ; 8, Lath. Ind. Orn. II. 1790, 755. 
Railus limicola, Vieill. Ency. Meth. 1823, 1059. 
Hab. The whole of temperate North America as far as the British Provinces, south to Guate- 
mala and Cuba ; occasionally winters almost at the northern limit of its range. 1 
Sp. Char. Adult : A miniature of II. elegans, but more deeply colored. Above, olivaceous, 
heavily striped with black ; wing-coverts chestnut-rufous ; remiges plain dusky ; crown and nape 
dusky, sometimes uniform, usually indistinctly streaked with olive ; a brownish-white supraloral 
line ; side of head uniform plumbeous (sometimes obscured with a brownish wash) ; malar region, 
foreneck, jugulum, breast, sides, and abdomen, sometimes throat also, cinnamon, the middle of the 
belly lighter (sometimes whitish) ; flanks (not sides) and axillars dusky, barred with white ; 
lining of wing dusky, the feathers tipped and bordered with white. Downy young : Glossy black ; 
bill scarlet or orange-red in life (whitish or pale yellowish in the skin), slightly marked with 
blackish in front of the nostril and on base of mandible. Young ( first plumage) : “ Top and sides 
of head, neck behind, back anteriorly, rump, breast, and sides, dull dead black. Interscapular 
1 A specimen was sent by Captain Bendire to the National Museum from Walla Walla, Washington 
Territory, which was shot there Jan. 16, 1879, when the snow was more than a foot deep ! 
