North American fauna . est was found in a pure stand of saltmarsh cordgrass. Inner Coastal Plain of Maryland Four pairs of King Rails nested in 10 acres of shrub swamp-marshmixture at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, near Laurel, Md., NATURAL HISTORY OF THE KING RAIL 39 during May and June 1965. Softrush, tussock sedge (Oarex stricta),and arrowhead (Sagittaria sp.) were the common emergent herbaceousplants. Woody marsh plants included swamp viburnum (Viburnumnudum), arrow-wood (V. dentatum), buttonbush, alder (Alnus serru-lata), winterberry (Ilex verticillata), red maple (Acer rubrum), a
North American fauna . est was found in a pure stand of saltmarsh cordgrass. Inner Coastal Plain of Maryland Four pairs of King Rails nested in 10 acres of shrub swamp-marshmixture at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, near Laurel, Md., NATURAL HISTORY OF THE KING RAIL 39 during May and June 1965. Softrush, tussock sedge (Oarex stricta),and arrowhead (Sagittaria sp.) were the common emergent herbaceousplants. Woody marsh plants included swamp viburnum (Viburnumnudum), arrow-wood (V. dentatum), buttonbush, alder (Alnus serru-lata), winterberry (Ilex verticillata), red maple (Acer rubrum), andwillow (Salix nigra). In late summer Woodcock (Philohela minor)were common in this same area. DELAWARE BAY, DEL. King and Clapper Kails inhabit the extensive brackish bay marshesknown as Broadway Meadows between Flemings Landing and Wood-land Beach, Kent County, Del. Two King-Clapper pairs and theirnests were found in June 1960 at Taylors Gut approximately halfwaybetween Flemings Landing and Woodland Beach (fig. 20).. Figure 20.—Taylors Gut at low tide, Kent County, Del., September 30, in this breeding habitat of mixed King and Clapper Rail popula-tions is mainly saltmarsh cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora), big cordgrass(Spartina cynosuroides), saltmarsh bulrush (Scirpus robustus), andhightide-bush (Iva frutesccns). (Photograph by Frederick C. Schmid.) The section of marsh at Taylors Gut where mixed populations occuris more typical of Clapper Rail than of King Rail habitat. The domi- 40 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 67 nant vegetation types are saltmarsh cordgrass and saltmarsh bulrush(table 4). Hightide-bush borders the tidal guts. Table 4.—Plant composition at three stations in Broadway Meadows, Del., in 1960[In percent, based on estimates for five 10-foot-square quadrats at each station; ] Flemings Taylors Gut Woodland Landing (Intermediate Beach (King Rails area; King Causeway only) and Clapper (Clapper Rails) Rails only) Saltmeadow cordgrass - 50 tr.
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