212 WADING BIRDS. 



Zizania and its nutritious grain abounds, there the Rails 

 are generally seen. In the reedy lakes of Michigan, as 

 well as the tide-water streams of the Atlantic, these birds 

 are found congregated, in quest of their favorite food. In 

 Virginia, they are particularly abundant along the grassy 

 banks of James' River, within the bounds of tide water, 

 where they are often taken in the night, while perched 

 among the reeds; being stupified by the glare of a fire 

 carried in among them, they are then easily approached by 

 a boat, and rudely knocked on the head with a paddle ; 

 sometimes in such quantities, that three negroes, in as many 

 hours, have been known to kill from 20 to 80 dozen. 



Fear seems to be a ruling passion among the whole tribe 

 of Rails and their kindred allies ; with faculties for acting 

 in the day, timidity alone seems to have rendered them 

 almost nocturnal in their actions ; their sole address and 

 cunning seems entirely employed in finding out means of 

 concealment ; this is particularly the case when wounded ; 

 tliey then swim out and dive with so much caution as sel- 

 dom to be seen again above water ; they even cling with 

 their feet to the reeds beneath that element, where they 

 would sooner endure suffocation than expose themselves 

 with any chance of being seen ; they often also skulk, on 

 ordinary occasions, under the floating reeds, with nothing 

 more than the bill above water. At other times, when 

 wounded, they will dive, and rise under the gunwale of the 

 sportsman's boat, and secreting themselves there, have the 

 cunning to go round as the vessel moves, until, given up as 

 lost, they find an opportunity of completing their escape. 



According to the observations of Mr. Ord, the females, 

 more particularly, are sometimes so affected by fear, or 

 some other passion, as to fall into sudden fits, and appear 

 stretched out as lifeless, recovering, after a while, the use of 

 their faculties, and falling again into syncope, on merely 



