THE SORA RAIL 231 



low and wings pressed to his sides, he forces 

 his thin body in its rapid course, doubling back 

 and forth in devious ways to the despair of all 

 dogs. A few trips after rails would sjDoil the 

 best bird dog that ever lived. Such a thing as 

 "laying to a dog" does not appear in any of 

 their codes. 



THE SORA RAIL. CAROLINA RAIL. 



(Porzana Carolina.) 



This is the most common species in New Eng- 

 land as elsewhere on the eastern half of our 

 continent. Almost entirely a vegetable feeder, 

 in our sea marshes its ''staff of life" is the long 

 white seeds of the marsh grass, or ''thatch," as 

 it is called, which lines the edges of the tide 

 waters and marshy shores, and this, with the 

 snails and "wigglers" so abundant there, forms 

 its entire menu. It is said that in a marsh 

 where much shooting is done they will some- 

 times fill themselves up with shot, which, it is 

 claimed, they mistake for some kind of seed. 

 Though we have seen many a rail filled with shot 

 it was never willingly on the bird's part, and I 

 think it is our privilege to doubt this statement 



