Rail and Reed Bird 169 



may work its way under floating or stranded stuff 

 and lie hidden with only its slender bill above water. 

 The adult rail measures about eight and one-half 

 inches in length, and from tip to tip of extended 

 wings about fourteen inches. The upper parts are 

 golden brown, with blackish markings in the centres 

 of most of the feathers. A black stripe extends to 

 the back of the head, the same color also encircling 

 the base of the bill and broadening upon the throat. 

 The sides of the head and neck and the breast are a 

 pretty bluish slate, which pales to an almost pure 

 white upon the lower under parts. The bill is 

 greenish, shading into yellow on the lower maudible; 

 lower tail coverts brownish white; flanks and in- 

 side of wings barred with white and sepia ; legs yel- 

 lowish green. Young birds lack the conspicuous 

 black markings, their general coloration being 

 browner, with a lighter mark on the throat. 



The rail is locally known by various names, 

 among which are sora, water-hen, chicken-bill, and 

 that Jersey product, " rail bird. " In addition to its 

 running powers and apparent aversion to taking 

 wing, it has one marked peculiarity which some of 

 our best naturalists have observed and commented 

 upon, yet have failed to satisfactorily explain. I re- 

 fer to a sort of fit into which a bird appears to fall 

 now and then. This fit, if it may be so termed, may 

 be a paroxysm of terror ; but be that as it may, it 

 certainly is peculiar. It does not appear to have any 

 connection with the report of the gun, but rather to 

 result from some situation in which an uninjured 

 rail imagines itself to be hopelessly cornered in the 

 grass, or other cover. A bird attacked by the fit 



