Marsh Birdr 



plains and marshes, the cranes associate in flocks only at the 

 migrations, although sometimes not averse to feeding in company 

 with other birds, like the geese, for example, as suspicious as 

 they. Field mice, snakes, lizards, frogs, berries, and cereals, all 

 are swallowed by these rapacious feeders. Their voice is harsh, 

 croaking, and resonant, and is frequently heard at night. 



Sandhill, or Brown Crane. 



Whooping Crane. 



Rails, Gallinules, Coots 



(Family Rallidce) 



The exceedingly shy, skulking rails, or marsh hens, spend 

 their lives hidden among the sedges of marshes, where they run 

 very lightly over the oozy ground, picking up their food from the 

 surface rather than treading it out of the mud with their lon^ 

 toes. Like the gallinuJes, they associate with their kin where, 

 food is abundant rather than from pure sociability. In spite of 

 their short, rounded wings, they cover immense distances in their 

 migrations; but when flushed in the marshes, where they might 

 remain unsuspected did not their voices betray them, they rise a 

 few feet above the sedges, and, dragging their legs after them, 

 quickly drop down among the grasses they are ever loth to leave. 

 All manner of absurd fables about the rails being blown in from 

 sea, and not hatched from eggs, and certain alleged mysteries of 

 their nests, that human eye, it is said, has never looked upon, are 

 palmed off upon the credulous, not only by the superstitious 

 darkies in southern marshes, but by white people of intelligence, 

 also. Rails are birds of medium or small size; their plumage 

 differs little in the sexes or with age or season ; the body is com- 

 pressed to a point in front, but broad and blunt behind, this 

 wedge shaped figure enabling the bird to squeeze through the 

 Ti;i es of Aquatic under rowth w ere it finds its constant home. 

 in as a rail " is a truly significant term. Gallinules and 

 ave a bare, horny plate on t !i e forehead; some of the 

 former are superbly colored. They keep more to the muddy 

 shores of lagoons and ponds and less hidden among the sedges 

 than the rails. Graceful walkers, they are good swimmers also 



172 



