402 THE COMMON GALLINULE. 



to pass readily through the thick growths of the marshes, 

 as also to aid them, perhaps, in their peculiar habit of walk- 

 ing on the bottom under the water in search of food; with 

 large feet and long toes, in order to support their steps on 

 soft mire and floating vegetation, and with legs long and 

 muscular they run like very witches in their reedy maizes, 

 and were it not for their sharp cackling voices, their pres- 

 ence would scarcely be detected, though the marshes swarm 

 with their gregarious multitudes. 



The three Rails here mentioned, virginianus^ crepitans and 

 elegans, constitute the genus Rallies; feeding on animal food, 

 which they take out of the water, they have longer bills than 

 the genus Porzana, w^hich feeds more particularly on float- 

 ing vegetation. 



THE COMMON GALLINULE. 



Rowling further up stream to another tract of sedges, I 

 am attracted by a spirited cackle something like that of the 

 guinea-fowl, o-ay, cray, cray, cray; and cow, cow, cow, cow, cow, 

 the first syllable of each strain drawn out, and the rest 

 quite rapid, while occasionally there is something like a 

 musical shake on a reed instrument, decidedly pleas- 

 ing. Concealing myself as much as possible, I strain 

 my eyes in the direction of the sound, and presently 

 see the Common Gallinule {Gallenula gallcafa) leading 

 about her newdy-hatched brood. The water is about a 

 foot deep, and they are all swimming around in the more 

 open places among the sedges. Some 12-15 inches long, 

 and so nearly the shape of the Rails as to be placed in the 

 same family with them; head, neck and under parts, grayish- 

 black; upper parts, black tinged with olive; bill and frontal 

 piece extending up from the bill, bright red — this bird 

 looks like a small dark-colored hen. The newly hatched 



