AMERICAN ORNITHOL OGY 

 HABITS. 



93 



The largest of tlie rails. It is 

 known as the fresh water Marsh 

 Hen in distinction from the Clapper 

 Rail which is called the salt water 

 Marsh Hen. These rails are very 

 sly, and it is difficult to flush 

 one. If they do fly they go hut a 

 very short ways, before dropping 

 down into the marsh again. Doubt- 

 less in crossing some swamp, you 

 have come across a bog, and have 

 had to walk quite a ways to get 

 around to the other side. The rail 

 has the advantage of us human be- 

 ings here, for he does not have to 

 go around, neither does he fly 

 across. With out-spread wings he 

 will run across the water, utilizing 

 every stick or leaf that may be on 

 its surface, for foothold. He also 

 proves that it is not necessary for a 

 bird to have web feet in order to 

 swim. All birds can float on the 

 water, and by using their wings as 

 paddles make some progress, but 

 the rail unless wounded and closely 

 pursued, uses his feet alone for this 

 purpose. It is also stated on good 

 authority that when wounded they 

 will sometimes dive under water 

 and hold fast to the reeds with their 

 long slender toes, just allowing 

 to project up out of the water, their 



bills so they can breathe. As their 

 bill closely resembles the reeds 

 they frequently escape in this man- 

 ner . 



The downy young are blackish all 

 over. They leave the nest almost 

 as soon as hatched and follow their 

 mother about the marsh. Their 

 food and that of the old birds, too, 

 consists of seeds and leaves of var- 

 ious water plants, worms, and all 

 manner of insects common to the 

 marshes. They are somewhat noc- 

 turnal, and feed after dusk. Often 

 in the evening or on a dark day, 

 when the sky is heavily overcast 

 with clouds, you can hear the loud 

 harsh cry or scream of the rails 

 coming from the marsh. If after 

 dusk you go to a marsh where these 

 birds are plenty, the first rail that 

 you disturb will run off through the 

 bushes uttering his cry, which will 

 be taken up by all others on the 

 marsh. 



Their fiesh is good, so many of 

 them fall before the gun, but they 

 are more fortunate in this respect 

 than their other relatives, the Clap- 

 per and Sora Rails, for most of the 

 hunters prefer the salt marshes 

 where these last mentioned birds 

 are killed in great numbers. 



