LIGHT-FOOTED RAIL.—Family Rallidse. 
210.1. Rallus levipes. 10 inches. 
They inhabit the grassy marshes, and keep closely concealed 
if any danger is lurking about the locality where they are. 
They are very quick to get away in the tall grass if startled, 
and rarely take to the wing for protection. This species is 
found about the marshes in southern California. 
CALIFORNIA CLAPPER RAIL. 
210. Rallus obsoletus. 15 inches. 
Color above olive-grayish, with no strong black markings; 
cinnamon colored breast. It is an abundant species on nearly 
all of the marshes along the coast. They are excellent runners, 
and are very difficult to start from the marsh grass in which 
they are concealed. Its nest is built on the ground on the 
higher parts of the marsh, where it is comparatively dry, build¬ 
ing it of grass and strips of rushes. 
Nest.—They lay from four to nine eggs of a light buff color, 
spotted and blotched with brown and lilac (1.75 x 1.25). The 
young of this family are born covered with a shining black 
down, and remain in the nest but a few hours. 
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