194 RAIL. 



also with long lines of pure white, the feathers being centred 

 with black, on a brown olive ground, and edged with white; 

 these touches of white are shorter near the shoulder of the wing, 

 lengthening as they descend; wing plain olive brown; tertials 

 streaked with black and long lines of white; tail pointed, dusky 

 olive brown, centred with black, the four middle feathers bor- 

 dered for half their length with lines of white; lower part of 

 the breast marked with semicircular lines of white, on a light 

 ash ground; belly white; sides under the wings deep olive, barr- 

 ed with black, white, and reddish buff; vent brownish buff; 

 legs, feet, and naked part of the thighs, yellowish green; exte- 

 rior edge of the wing white; eyes reddish hazel. 



The females, and young of the first season, have the throat 

 white, the breast pale brown, and little or no black on the head. 

 The males may always be distinguished by their ashy blue 

 breasts, and black throats. 



During the greater part of the months of September and Oc- 

 tober, the market of Philadelphia is abundantly supplied with 

 Rail, which are sold from half a dollar to a dollar a dozen. Soon 

 after the twentieth of October, at which time our first smart 

 frosts generally take place, these birds move off to the south. 

 In Virginia they usually remain until the first week in Novem- 

 ber. 



Since the above was written, I have received from Mr. 

 George Ord, of Philadelphia, some curious particulars relative 

 to this bird, which, as they are new, and come from a gentle- 

 man of respectability, are worthy of being recorded, and merit 

 further investigation. 



"My personal experience," says Mr. Ord, "has made me 

 acquainted with a fact in the history of the Rail, which perhaps 

 is not generally known; and I shall, as briefly as possible, com- 

 municate it to you. Some time in the autumn of the year 180.9, 

 as I was walking in a yard, after a severe shower of rain, I 

 perceived the feet of a bird projecting from a spout. I pulled it 

 out, and discovered it to be a Rail, very vigorous, and in perfect 

 health. The bird was placed in a small room, on a gin-case; and 



