280 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. 



wherein Canary Birds were confined, and resolved that on the 

 succeeding day, I would endeavor to discover whether or not 

 the passion of anger had produced the fit. I entered the room 

 at the appointed time, and approached the bird, which had I'e- 

 tired on beholding me, in sullen humor, to a corner. On point- 

 ing my finger at it, its feathers were immediately ruffled, and 

 in an mstant it sprang forward, as in the first instance, and fell 

 into a similar fit. The following day the experiment was re- 

 peated, with like effect. 



" 'In the fall of 1811, as I was shooting among the reeds, I 

 perceived a Rail rise but a few feet before my batteau. The 

 bird had risen about a yai-d, when it became entangled in 

 the tops of a small bunch of reeds, and immediately fell. Its 

 feet and neck were extended, as in the instances above men- 

 tioned, and before it had time to recover, I killed it. Some 

 few days afterwards, as a friend and I were shooting in the 

 same place, he killed a Rail, and as we approached the spot to 

 pick it up, another was perched not a foot off", in a fit ; I took 

 up the latter and placed it in the crown of my hat ; in a few 

 moments it revived, and was as vigorous as ever. 



" ' These facts go to prove that the Rail is subject to gusts of 

 passion, which operate to so violent a degree as to produce a 

 disease similar in its effects to eJDilepsy. I leave the explana- 

 tion of the phenomena to those pathologists who are competent 

 and willing to investigate it. It may be worthy to remark that 

 the birds affected as described, were all females, of the Galli- 

 nula Carolina, or common Rail ' 



" The Rail, though generally reputed a simple bird, will 

 sometimes manifest symptoms of considerable intelligence. To 

 those acquainted with Rail shooting, it is hardly necessary to 

 mention that the tide in its flux is considered an almost indis- 

 pensable auxiliary, for when the water is off" the marsh, the 

 lubricity of the mud, the height and compactness of the reed, 

 and the swiftness of foot of the game tend to weary the sports- 

 man and to frustrate his endeavors. 



"Even should he succeed in a tolerable deg-ree, the reward is 



