258 BULLETIN 135, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Behavior. — Under the old name, courlan, which seems much more 

 appropriate tnan the local nickname, limpkin, Audubon (1840) gives 

 us a good account of the behavior of this species, as follows: 



The flight of the scolopaceous courlan is heavy and of short duration; the 

 concavity and shortness of its wings, together with the nature of the places 

 which it inhabits, probably rendering it slow to remove from one spot to another, 

 ■on wing, it being in a manner confined among tall plants, the roots of which are 

 frequently under water. When it rises spontaneously it passes through the air, 

 at a short distance above the weeds, with regular beats of the wings, its neck 

 extended to its full length, and its long legs dangling beneath, until it suddenly 

 drops to the ground. Few birds then excel it in speed, as it proceeds, if pursued, 

 by long strides, quickly repeated, first in a direct course, along paths formed by 

 itself when passing and repassing from one place to another, and afterwards 

 diverging so as to ensure its safety even when chased by the best dogs, or other 

 not less eager enemies inhabiting the half-submerged wilderness which it has 

 chosen for its residence. When accidently surprised, it rises obliquely out of its 

 recess, and the neck greatly bent downward, and although its legs dangle for 

 awhile, they are afterwards extended behind in the manner of those of the heron 

 tribe. At such times these birds are easily shot; but if they are only wounded, 

 it would be in vain to pursue them. Although of considerable size and weight, 

 they are enabled, by the great length and expansion of their toes, to walk on the 

 broad leaves of the larger species of Nymphaea found in that country. They 

 swim with the same buoyancy as the coots, gallinules, and rails. 



William Brewster (1881) writes attractively about it, as follows: 



But if our presence was a matter of indifference to the birds just mentioned 

 we certainly were not ignored by the vigilant courlans, for any sudden noise, 

 like the splash of a paddle in the water or the rapping of its handle against the 

 boat, was sure to be instantly followed by a piercing "kur-r-ee-ow, kurr-r-ee-ow, 

 kurr-r-ee-ow, kr-ow, kr-ow," from the nearest thicket; or perhaps several would 

 cry out at once as rails will do on similar occasions. For the most part the 

 birds kept closely hidden but at length we discovered one feeding on the shore. 

 His motions were precisely similar to those of a rail, as he skirted the oozy brink, 

 lifting and putting down his feet with careful deliberation. Occasionally he 

 detected and seized a snail, which was quickly swallowed, the motion being invaria- 

 bly accompanied by a comical side shake of the bill, apparently expressive of satis- 

 faction, though it was. perhaps designed to remove any particles of mud that may 

 have adhered to his unique food. Finally he spied us and walked up the inclined 

 trunk of a fallen tree to its shattered end where he stood for a moment tilting 

 his body and jerking up his tail. Then he uttered a hoarse rattling cry like the 

 gasp of a person being strangled, at the same time shaking his head so violently 

 that his neck seemed in imminent danger of dislocation. Just as we were nearly 

 within gun range he took wing, with a shriek that might have been heard for 

 half a mile. His flight was nearly like a heron's, the wings being moved slowly 

 and occasionally held motionless during intervals of sailing. Shortly afterwards 

 another, his mate probably, was detected under a palmetto leaf near at hand. 

 In the shadow her form was dimly outlined and she stood perfectly motionless, 

 evidently relying upon concealment for protection, but her quick eye took in 

 every suspicious movement and at length, conscious that she was seen, she ran 

 rapidly for a few paces and launched into the air, following the course taken by 

 the first. He is perfectly at home in the tops of the tallest trees where he walks 

 among the twigs with all the ease of a heron or stands motionless on some 



