Range. - Salt marshes of the Atlantic coast from southern New England southward.

A grayish colored Rail, about the size of, and with the markings similar to those of the King Rail. It is as exclusively a salt water species as the King Rail is a fresh water one. With the possible exception of the Carolina or Sora Rail, this is the most abundant of all the Rails, nundreds nesting in a single marsh on the South Atlantic coast. Their nests are built of rushes and weeds, and are placed on the ground either in the tall grass bordering the marshes or attached to the rushes in the midst of the marsh. The nesting season commences during April and continues through May. They lay from six to fourteen eggs, of a buff color spotted irregularly with brown and gray. Size 1.70 x 1.20.

Buff.

King Rail. Clapper Rail.

211a. Louisiana Clapper Rail. Rallus Crepitans Saturatus

The habitation of this subspecies is limited to the coast of Louisiana. It is very similar to the proceeding but is said to be brighter in plumage.

211b. Florida Clapper Rail. Rallus Crepitans Scotti

Range. - Western coast of Florida.

This bird is also similar to crepitans but is much darker and brighter.

211c. Wayne's Clapper Rail. Rallus Crepitans Naynei

Range. - South Atlantic coast from North Carolina to Florida.

This subspecies is a little darker than crepitans, being about midway between that species and Rallus scotti. The nests and eggs of any of these subspecies cannot be distinguished from those of the common Clapper Rail.

211.2. Caribbean Clapper Rail. Rallus Longirostris Caribaeus

Range. - West Indies and east coast of Mexico, north to southern Texas. This species is similar to the Clapper, but has a shorter and relatively stouter bill.