Clapper Bails’ Eggs.— During tlie sea- 
son of 1881 1,000 eggs were taken from a 
tract of land not two miles square, and yet 
not half was taken that could have been. 
These eggs were taken to ^ jg^g^ aT . I 83 3 .p^ 
purposes in New York market. 
preparation except to select a spot above 
the reach of tide, and with a little old hay 
beneath and a good screen overhead, they 
commence business. Nests are found from 
the 15th of May to the 20th of June in 
abundance ; and even as late as the 1 st of 
August fresh eggs have been obtained. 
Farmers, and others in the localities where 
these birds are abundant, have been in the 
habit of “ going egging,” as they term it, 
for years, gathering in a season bushels of 
eggs, in the aggregate, and using them in 
the culinary operations of the family. 
Mv first discovery of this mine of Rails 
eggs was an accidental one. At a stand in 
a market my attention was directed to a 
basket of 200 or more of these eggs. 
Thinking it might be well to secure a few 
of them I enquired and found the price 
to be according to weight, at what they 
were worth for cooking purposes. Think 
ing it a shame to destroy so many speci- 
mens, I took the lot, getting information 
about the locality and the promise of more 
the succeeding week. Judge of my sur- 
prise the next week when 500 or more ar 
rived. For two years I took all our col- 
lectors brought, but owing to the prospect 
of a fine of $25 for each egg taken, and 
not being able to have such expensive eggs 
in my collection, it was deemed best to 
leave the eggs to be hatched for the benefit 
of the gunners. I enquired in the market 
this Fall for the killed birds, and found a 
large lot at one stand at from $1 to $1.50 
per dozen. They weigh about one pound 
each, but are very unsalable from some 
cause, a large lot having to be thrown 
away. Although not web-footed they can 
swim pretty well when going from island 
to island, or across the creeks, accompa 
nied by their family of young Rails, 
do not think they have more than one nest 
in a year, unless their first nest is broken 
up. The number of eggs in a nest varies 
from eight to sixteen, not many reaching 
the latter figure. The size and color varies 
very much. I have eggs 1 £ inches loner bv 
broad ; most are about X Tg, although 
found occasionally I 4 X 1 inch. The color 
varies from bluish white to light brown, 
and the markings vary from faint dots to 
heavy splashes of brown. The farmers, 
when gathering the eggs for culinary uses, 
if in doubt as to the freshness of the eggs, 
dip them in shallow water, and if they sink 
and lie on the sides they call them good ; 
if they sink but stand on end they put 
thetu back in the nest ; but if they float 
they know them to be bad. The young 
are full grown about the 1st of September. 
The C. Rails being very shy, form burrows 
under the growing grass, so that their, 
nests are not easily found ; and were it not ^ 
for the fact of their placing their nests 
near some tall grass or bunch of reeds it 
would be next to impossible to find them 
They seldom take to wing unless they are 
suddenly startled, trusting to their bein g' ** 3 . /* • 3 0 ■ 
able to run and dodge their pursuers in the n[i ibid., p. 35. — Chiefly re- 
reeds. While setting, they stick to their Sora Rails. O, & O- Vol.VIIX 
nests to the last moment, and are som e-(bid., p. 40.— Its abundance, 
times caught on the nest. They startle you J- 0>& /oi s VTI? 
sometimes as you uncover the nest. To 
use the words of one collector, “ They are 
sometimes quite bold and saucy, if it is 
near hatching time, and squawk like a 
setting hen.” Having had a large number 
to distribute during 1880 and 1881 it has 
reduced values in catalogues ; but having 
none to send out in 1883, another change 
may be necessary. Most of the C. Rail 
eggs were found on the north side of 
Long Island. I have not met with this 
species on the Elizabeth or Newark great 
meadows, but found one nest of the Vir- 
ginia R., containing eight eggs, on the 
Salt Meadows at Elizabeth. The gunners 
are very numerous about here, and birds 
stand but little chance. We have but two 
or three good collectors of eggs in this 
neighborhood. — 2 j[. , ^ . 
li. li., JMizaoem, ±\ . <>■ 
O.ftQ. V III. May. 1383. p. iJ-W 
