NORTH AMERICAN MARSH BIRDS 311 



The autumnal flight to Bormuda is oven more remarkable. Baird, 

 Brewer, and Ridgway (1884) write: "Its movements and the ir- 

 regular character of its visits to Bermuda are interesting features in 

 its history. Maj. J. W. Wedderburn- states that it regularly visits 

 Bermuda, arriving early in September. The first specimen, ob- 

 tained September 3, 1847, was settling on a branch of a mangrove- 

 tree — a very unusual action for this species, as it very rarely alights 

 on a limb, and tliis one was 4 feet from the ground. A few remained 

 throughout the winter. In October, 1849, it arrived in immense 

 numbers, and one was killed January 17, and another April 26. J, 

 L. Hurdis, in some supplementary^ notes [p. 821 added to Major 

 Wedderburn's paper, states that however heavy and sluggish this 

 bird may appear when distm'bed in its marshy retreat, there can be 

 no doubt that it possesses great strength of wing, and the fact that 

 it never fails to visit Bermuda in its great southern migrations is 

 suflficient proof of its powers of flight. A single instance was noted 

 of its being met with, as early as August 24. In September it had 

 become rather numerous, but was more abundant in October than 

 at any other time. In some seasons these birds all disappeared 

 about the end of October, while in others a few remained to the 25th 

 of November, and some even beyond that time. In 1849 and the 

 three following years thi< bird visited Bermuda in its spring migra- 

 tions, appearing in the latter part of February, and remaining 

 through (he months of March and April. Ten specimens were shot 

 and three taken ahve. During a southwest gale which prevailed on 

 the 9th of October, 1849, thousands of this bird suddenly appeared 

 in the marshes of Bermuda, and on the 29th of the same month not 

 one of tliis species was to be seen. The whole immense flight had 

 departed on some unexplained journey. This dopartiu*e could not 

 have been occasioned by any want of food, for the marshes were 

 abundantly supplied, and the prevailing temperature was between 

 70° and 80° Fahrenheit. Mr. Hurdis states that this bird is also 

 found in its migrations in the Island of Barbados, and thinks that 

 there is little causi; to doubt that the rivers and marshes of South 

 America are its southern haunts during the winter months. It is 

 very fat when it arrives in the Bermudas — evidently a provision of 

 nature to sustain it in its long and arduous flight from one region to 

 some distant point, as it probably traverses th'j Atlantic Ocean for 30 

 or 35 degrees of latitude without food." 



Game. — The sora, or Carolina rail, has always been a popular 

 game bird. It is exceedingly abundant at times in certain places; 

 its flight is so slow and steady that it is easily killed ; and when 

 fattened on the succulent grains of the marshes its flesh is excellent 

 food. But, to my mind, it is too small, too tame, and too easily 



' Naturalist in Bermuda, p. 45. 



