Northern Observations of Inland Birds 123 



at night-time, but though I have spent months on end 

 in localities where they are numerous, and heard them 

 calling all day and every day, I doubt whether I have seen 

 more than half a dozen in my life. 



The first I saw was picked up in the backyard of my 

 own home one day-break. It was found lying in the 

 middle of the yard with a broken leg, though there was 

 nothing at all to explain how the accident had befallen 

 it. The water- rail might faithfully be described as among 

 the most timid and cautious of wild birds, but, strange 

 to relate, this unfortunate specimen seemed not to have 

 the least fear of the household. We doctored it as best 

 we could, and it readily took food put down before it 

 in the presence of human beings. Finally it flew away 

 with its leg still in splints, though up till that moment 

 it made not the least attempt to escape. So far as I can 

 recall it was with us two or three days. 



I have often wondered why such birds as the water-rail 

 remain comparatively rare. They have extraordinarily 

 few enemies — or rather they are extraordinarily well able 

 to guard against such enemies as they have. Man makes 

 practically no inroads into their numbers, for their 

 habitat is such that he seldom comes across them. Their 

 powers of multipUcation would seem to be at least equal 

 to those of other waterfowl which live far more exposed 

 lives and are in no way so well able to take care of them- 

 selves — yet the water- rail remians rare while others 

 increase and multiply. Why ? 



