BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 
69 
Habitat . — Salt marshes of the Atlantic coast of the United States, from New Jersey 
southward ; resident from the Potomac southward, casually north to Massachusetts. 
The Clapper Rail or Mud-hen is the noisy game bird which is often 
killed in such great numbers about the salt-water marshes in the neigh- 
borhood of Atlantic City, New Jersey. In Pennsylvania this rail has 
been found as a very rare, or, more probably, accidental visitor. The 
late Judge Libhart records the capture of one in Lancaster county by 
Mr. G. W. Hensel ; and Dr. Detwiller has also taken it in the state. A 
bird of this species was shot near Chester city, Delaware county, Sep- 
tember, 1880, by ex-Sheriff George R. Hoopes, of West Chester and 
presented to me. 
Rallus virginianus Linn. 
Vir#?inia Rail ; Ijittle Red Rail. 
Description {Plate 78 ). 
Much smaller than either the Clapper or King Rails, but resembling them in form 
and resembling also R. elegans in colors. 
Adult . — Nine or ten inches long and about fourteen in extent. Specimen before 
me has sides of head mostly grayish-ashy, little or no white about lower eye-lid, 
otherwise same as King Rail previously described. Specimens are occasionally 
taken in which the neck and breast are more or less black. 
Habitat . — North America, from British provinces and south to Guatemala and 
Cuba. / 
Notwithstanding the fact that the plumage of the Virginia and King 
Rails is similar, the species can readily be distinguished by the great 
difference in size, the Virginia Rail being only about one-third as large 
as the King Rail. This species arrives in Pennsylvania by the first of 
May and remains with us until the middle of October — specimens have 
been killed during the first week in November. These birds, although 
only occasionally observed, are, I am certain, much more plentiful about 
our large swamps and marshy river borders than it is usually supposed. 
Frequenting, as they do at all times, however, marshy districts, which are 
thickly covered with various grasses, bushes, reeds, etc., it is rather ex- 
ceptional to see them. Like all the rails, they are shy and timid. If ap- 
proached they seldom fly, but run rapidly and quickly conceal themselves 
among the thick tussocks or other suitable cover. They are seemingly 
in no way impeded in making their retreat even across large-sized spaces 
of water on which are floating a few blades of grass, leaves or twigs, 
over which they run with the same celerity as when on the ground. The 
nest, a frail structure consisting mainly of grass, is built commonly in a 
tussock located generally in the most inaccessible portion of the swamp. 
The eggs, it is said, vary in number from six to ten and are dirty white, 
with numerous spots and different shades of brown. Nuttall says: 
“ The female is so much attached to her eggs, after sitting, as sometimes 
to allow of being taken up by the hand rather than desert the premises, 
