NOBTH AMERICAN MARSH BIRDS 297 



spot. Caterpillars were taken to the water and their bristles softened 

 and broken before they were eaten, while frogs were pounded into 

 insensibility in the water. Small snakes were eaten with avidity. 

 The largest snake given this bird was a garter snake 12 inches long. 

 It was attacked at once with vigorous thrusts of the bill, and, after 

 half an hour's efforts, the bird began to swallow it head first. The 

 snake, however, soon looped its body about the bird and was hastily 

 unswallowed. Renewed thrusts with the bill and further unsuccess- 

 ful swallowing trials ensued and not until the end of two strenuous 

 hours was the reptile finally disposed of. After an hour's sleep, the 

 rail was ready for new worlds to conquer. 



Behavior. — It sometimes happens that in walking through a marsh 

 one almost steps on a Virginia rail that springs into the air and, with 

 dangling legs, flies on feeble wings for 5 or 10 yards and drops, appar- 

 ently exhausted, to the grass. If one runs at once to the spot, the 

 bird seems to have vanished- — it can not be flushed again. It has 

 run swiftly through the grass, its thin body enabling it to pass among 

 thickset reeds, while its muscular legs soon carry it beyond our reach. 

 In these tactics it can generally escape from a dog. That it was 

 flushed in the first place was a rare happening. In the migrations 

 or when on long flights, the Virginia rail extends its legs horizontally 

 behind like all water birds, and wings its way with considerable speed 

 and power. 



While the Virginia rail is able to run with agility through the grass 

 and over the mud and even on the broad leaves of the water lilies 

 floating on the water, it is also able to cling to the grass stalks 

 and rushes or to the ascending branches of bushes and to climb to 

 their summits. It also swims gracefully. 



The best way to observe these shy birds is to take up one's station 

 near a pond or marsh frequented by them and watch patiently, 

 silently, and immobile, and in so doing the watcher is often well 

 rewarded. In pursuance of this plan I once concealed myself in the 

 low branches of a willow and made the following observations 

 (Townsend, 1920) : 



I heard an ear-piercing "Spee" or "tSee" from near at hand and saw a Virginia 

 rail threading its way in and out among the rushes, thrusting continually its long 

 curved bill into the water and mud. It ran within 10 feet of me up onto the bank, 

 so near that I could see its dark red eyes, and, as it disappeared in the cat-tails, 

 another one appeared. Their frequently emitted notes were as sharp as those of 

 & red squirrel, at time suggestive of the squeak made by the grass-blade stretched 

 between the thumbs, at times a low guttural chattering or grunting or moaning; 

 now a mild "cut-ta, cut-ta", then a loud and disdainful "eh-eh". The one that had 

 passed me soon popped out of the cat-tails with a long worm hanging from its 

 bill, but, disturbed by my presence, turned back to reappear a little farther ofiF 

 And returned to the rushes as before. It then flew out over the pond with weak, 



