IDYLLS OF BIRD LIFE 
quietly slipped off the nest and flew with unsteady flight over 
the rushes to another part of the marsh. I quickly waded out 
/ ''v. 
to the nest, examined the eggs, for I had never seen the sora \ 
rail eggs up to this time. Their color was a dull buff, spotted 
with, dark brown, and lavender spots. They were beautiful to 
I * 
see, nine of them snugly packed down in a nest of grasses and 
sedge lined with a few fine grasses. In all, the nest was a very 
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carelessly constructed affair. The platform on which it was 
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1 \ y* ( Y ' t ! ^ ^ ^ ‘ ^ ^ I . 
raised consisted of a few reeds about which it was woven. I 
made my way back to the blind not a minute too soon, for I 
barely settled in my position when the mother bird returned 
C:—‘ _ _ i 
to her duty. She did not leave that nest again until evening* 
as I was faithfully 
watching her throughout that memorable 
-- J \ / fflWfaL 
s Yf Jfef 
- -- . - II L" •''■ l 
hot" day. 
For five successive days I made the seven-mile trip in my 
canoe to visit the nest of the rail. At no time after mv 
!. . . \ . 
visit did I find her off the nest. Faithful to., her trust she 
guarded the incubated eggs with unremitting assiduity. She 
certainly must have left the nest at some time or other during 
a 
the day but whenever I approached her she was always incu- 
bating, nor did I again get a look at her beautiful eggs. 
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'*c' 
P • * 65 i ' 
