RAIL SHOOTING. 141 



comes out, do not shoot at him at first sight, 

 reserve your fire for a moment." 



" And wherefore ?" 



" You will see," is the reply. 



The experiment is now repeated with similar 

 results, except that when the third rail appears, 

 after looking inquisitively round, it stoops to 

 examine its prostrate companions, and with that 

 strange misapprehension of death so often mani- 

 fested by the brute creation, begins to make war 

 upon the inanimate bodies, striking with bill 

 and heels after the manner of a game-cock. 

 Perhaps two or three come out upon the 

 mud at the same moment ; one struts around the 

 dead birds ; another offers amatory caresses ; or 

 all join in a sort of mimic battle royal, like so 

 many pullets in a barn-yard. They may be all 

 killed at a single discharge, but if unmolested 

 the contest is speedily ended by one of the party 

 whimsically running back to cover in a circuit, 

 when the rest immediately follow. 



As the tide continues to recede, the rail follow 

 for the purpose of gleaning up the seeds and 

 small insects which are left behind, and many 

 birds are killed, in the way described, by per- 

 sons who station their boats in the guts, just 

 after high water. At low water not a single rail 



