YELLOW RAIL. 



195 



Striking of a flint and steel ; at other times it makes a shriek- 

 ing noise." It is evident, therefore, that the Yellow-breasted 

 Rail is principally a Northern species, which migrates mostly 

 through the western mterior of the continent, and is therefore 

 very rare in the Atlantic States. 



Like all the other species, the present inhabits swamps, 

 marshes, and the reedy margins of ditches and lakes. In the 

 vicinity of West Cambridge, and throughout the vast extent of 

 wet marsh-land which stretches over the face of the country, 

 and is but rarely visited by man, among the Virginia Rails 

 and a few stragglers of the Sora we occasionally meet with 

 this small and remarkable species. The first mdividual ever 

 brought to me, late in autumn, was surprised, while feeding on 

 insects or seeds, by the margin of a small pool overgrown with 

 the leaves of the water-lily {Nyviphcea odorata). Without 

 attempting either to fly or swim, it darted nimbly over the 

 floating leaves, and would have readily escaped, but for the 

 arrest of the fatal gun, which baffled its cunning and precau- 

 tion. When wounded, this bird also s\\dms and dives with 

 great address. 



On the 6th of October, 1831, having spent the night in a 

 lodge on the borders of Fresh Pond, employed for decoying 

 and shooting ducks, I heard about sunrise the Yellow-breasted 

 Rails begin to stir among the reeds (^Arundo ph?'agmitis) that 

 thickly skirt this retired border of the lake, and in which, 

 among a host of various kinds of Blackbirds, they had for some 

 time roosted every night. As soon as awake, they called out 

 in an abrupt and cackling cry, 'k7'ek, 'krek, ^krek, 'h'ek, kuk 

 'k'kh, which note, apparently 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 resem- 

 blance 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, tifl the whole family, separated for 

 the night, have met and satisfactorily recognized each other. 

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

 the North about the time stated for their departure by Mr. 



