124 
TIIE CONDOR 
Voi,. XI 
While searching for the undiscovered eggs of the Large-billed Sparrow, May 
4, 1908, I took a few high steps to break my way thru a tangled mass of weeds and 
was surprised to see rise near my right knee, a California Black Rail. Examination 
of a dense growth of Salicornia ambigua brought to light a well concealed nest 
with one whole and three smasht eggs. An egg-smeared boot explained the un- 
fortunate destruction of what would have proved a valuable addition to any oological 
collection. Incubation had commenced in each egg of this small set. This nest, 
as well as an empty one found in a similar location at a distance of a few hundred 
feet, was placed from ten to twelve inches above the mud. Having flusht birds 
directly from two nests, I imagined I should have no difficulty in securing a series 
of specimens if searcht for diligently; time has shown the fallacy of that idea. 
Extensive field experience thruout this and several other states, warrants the writer 
in claiming that there is no bird whose nest is more difficult to find than an occupied 
nest of the species under consideration. Some of our small feathered denizens of 
the forest effectually conceal their homes in bewildering foliage of tall trees, but 
the nesting site can usually be located by a sharp-eyed and patient collector watch- 
ing the birds during building operations. 
The California Black Rails inhabit such dense vegetation, in which an 
abundance of nesting material is close at hand, that work could be carried on at a 
distance of six feet without one's being aware of the fact. Twenty-five special 
collecting trips to this colony by the undersigned, has resulted in only one bird and 
three sets of eggs; on each occasion two to six hours was spent in a most pains- 
taking search for specimens. I have seen but ten birds. Five of them were 
flusht bv a young man and his dog; one was captured by the same party seizing it 
with his hand as it endeavored to escape from the dog by running, and the others 
were flusht by myself. The dog would point the Rails and as they glided away 
beneath the weeds, would follow along sniffing rapidly. On catching sight of a 
little fugitive skulking from one shadowy retreat to another, he would bite at it, 
in one instance nabbing out most of the tail feathers. These biting acts seemed to 
be of a playful nature and reminded one of a cat playing with a captured mouse. 
The salt weeds of this marsh are of an evergreen character and perennial, vary- 
ing little from season to season. Old clumps of Salicornia become more or less 
matted down, forming an ideal retreat for this secretive little bird. A favorite 
nesting site is one formed by an old top-heavy weed falling over a growth of previ- 
ous years in such a way as to leave a shelf-like space between the layers of stems 
and foliage. Away from the glaring sun on such a platform, is concealed a flimsy 
nest of fine dry weed stems. These weeds are too brittle to admit of weaving, and 
fall apart on being lifted from the sustaining platform. Nests that are built on 
the ground are sometimes as much as two inches thick in the center. Even the 
best constructed nests partially fall away on removal from the supporting weeds 
and earth. By sewing a round piece of paper to the bottom and making many 
stitches thru the balance of a nest, one can preserve about three-fourths of the 
original material. Of course the natural shape of a sewed specimen is changed, render- 
ing it unsatisfactory to the careful student of nature. An excellent way of taking 
fragile nests of this character from the ground reasonably free of stones, is to 
remove a good sized piece of earth containing the nest and surrounding vegetation. 
An example of my method is shown in one of the photographs accompanying 
this article. This nest was obtained in the following manner. The cover and bottom 
were removed from an eight-by-twelve-inch wooden candy box; strips of tin having 
one edge bent at a right-angle, were attacht with small nails to each end and one 
side of the box, at proper distance to form a groove-like runway for the bottom to 
