BIRDS OF MINNESOTA. 105 



PORZANA CAROLINA (L). (214.) 

 SORA. 



"Thin as a Rail" is a very common expression, without 

 much sense or significance until a genuine Rail has been 

 looked upon, after which its figurative applicability receives 

 a new force. The relative depth and breath of the body when 

 seen explain it all. Everything is adapted to the place in 

 which Infinite Wisdom placed it; the laterally expanded Goose, 

 as well as the laterally contracted Rail. The one with its 

 webbed toes for a natatorial life; the other with its immoder- 

 ately elongated, disenthralled toes to run, squirrel-like over 

 the lightest drift-wood and expanded lily pads on the water. 

 The casual straggler, with only his cane in his hand, in lan- 

 guid idleness sitting down on a log near an expanse of the 

 water-lillies about sunset, will see more of these birds in a 

 half hour of observation, than a collector will in ten days of 

 constant tramping. Tail erect, the bird is seen tripping along 

 the debris of ttie shore, and onto the frail, floating lily-pads, 

 pausing not a moment before an open space, but dropping 

 into the water, swimming unconcernedly across to more lilies 

 or a point of drift, seizing an insect first on one side and then 

 on the other, till it disappears in the twilight, or beating a 

 circuit it returns again. In the mean time, more individuals 

 have come upon the scene, and there are a half dozen, busily 

 and cheerily searching for the wanted food, while they all 

 keep up a rather subdued "ca-toeep-eep, ca-iueep-eep-eep-ip-ip-ip'^ 

 like a flock of young domestic chickens. 



These birds reach Minnesota about the 25 th of April, and 

 begin to build by the second week in May. The structure con- 

 sists of weeds and grass in abundance, making a large pile for 

 the size of the bird, hollowed somewhat, and placed on a bunch 

 of coarse grass, in the marshes. They are said to be some- 

 times found under extremely different circumstances, as brier 

 patches, cranberry vines, or even under the current bushes in 

 a country garden, but if the full history of such cases could be 

 known, a sufficient reason would be revealed for the excep- 

 tions. The eggs are a yellow-drab, with the slightest tinge of 

 olive-green, and from five to ten in number. 



Their food as has already been indicated, is made up of 

 different forms of aquatic insect life, to which must be added 

 small molusca, Crustacea, and seeds of different kinds. They 

 remain until late in October, very frequently. This is by far 



