Notes on Some Birds of Illinois, 
E,W. Nelson. 
12. Porzana jamaicensis, Cass. Black Rail. — A regular summer 
resident, and not very rare. During the spring of 1875 I saw three specie 
mens in the Calumet Marsh ; and Mr. Frank De Witt of Chicago, while 
collecting with me near the Calumet River, June 19, 1875, was fortunate 
enough to find a nest of this species containing ten freshly laid eggs. 
The nest was situated in a deep cup-shaped depression, and in shape and 
situation resembled that of the Meadow Lark, except that the Rail’s nest 
is much deeper in proportion to the diameter. The nest was more elab- 
orately made than the nest of any other of the genus I have seen. The 
outer portion is composed of grass-stems and blades, the inner portion 
of soft blades of grass arranged in a circular manner and loosely inter- 
woven. Owing to the small diameter of the nest there were two layers of 
eggs. The eggs are clear white, thinly sprinkled with reddish-brown 
dots, which become much more numerous about the large end. 
Bull, N.O.O. I, July, 1870. p,43 
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