YELLOW-BREASTED RAIL. 217 



as awake, they called out in an abrupt and cackling cry, 

 -kreh, 'kreJc, 'kreJc, 'kreJc, 'Jcuk 'k'kh, which note, appar- 

 ently from the young, was answered by the parent (probably 

 the hen,) in a lower soothing tone. The whole of these 

 uncouth and guttural notes have no bad resemblance to the 

 croaking of the tree frog, as to sound. This call and 

 answer, uttered every morning, is thus kept up for several 

 minutes in various tones, till the whole family, separated for 

 the night, have met and satisfactorily recognised each other. 

 These are, no doubt, migrating broods, who have arrived 

 from the north, about the time stated for their departure by 

 Mr. Hutchins. By the first week in November, their cack- 

 ling ceases ; and as they seem to migrate hither without de- 

 lay, and with great expedition, for a bird with such short 

 wings ; it is probable they proceed at once to the swamps of 

 the Southern States, and soon after to, or beyond the boun- 

 daries of the Union. 



The length of the Yellow-Breasted Rail is about 7^ inches. The 

 young scarcely 6 inches. The bill | of an inch long from the rictus, 

 much compressed, dusky-green, with the base and ridge near the 

 front, dull yellowish-orange. Iris hazel. Feet soiled flesh color. 

 Tarsus 1 inch. Middle toe an inch and one eighth long. Summit 

 of the head and back, black, the latter more broadly skirted with 

 yellowish-brown, with each feather crossed by two narrow white 

 bands : hind part of the head dotted with white. Broad line over 

 the eye pale yellowish-brown, and dotted with dark brown. The 

 feathers of the nape, sides of the neck and rump, with only the ter- 

 minal band of white. Wings when closed extending to the tip of 

 the tail : upper wing-coverts dusky, margined with olive-ferruginous, 

 each with two white narrow bands. Quills dusky ; secondaries 

 nearly all white except the first, which is dusky on the outer web, 

 and the last, which is mottled with the same ; scapulars black, very 

 widely bordered with yellowish-brown, crossed by two to three 

 white equidistant lines. Tail black, very short, the feathers with 

 two and three white lines, and pale ferruginous at the sides. Loicer 

 plumage, sides of the neck and breast, yellowish-brown, each feather 

 19 



