248 WILD HEEDS. 



restoration, when they become fat and throw off all 

 indication of lassitude. In this condition they are 

 a great table delicacy, and can be oftener and more 

 freely partaken of than any description of fowl with 

 which I am acquainted. Their sensitiveness to a 

 depression of temperature, on the advent of cold 

 weather, is one of their peculiar characteristics. 

 The marsh which absolutely swarmed with them to- 

 day, to-morrow will be deserted, though the thermo- 

 meter has only fallen a few degrees. When such an 

 exodus has taken place, the observer may feel assured 

 that cold weather is not far distant. 



The fluvial portion of the majority of North 

 American streams that enter the sea south of the 

 Hudson, overflows an immense extent of low-lying 

 meadow-land, covered with great varieties of aquatic 

 weeds, but principally with the Zizania aquatica, or 

 wild reed, whose seed seems to be the favourite food 

 of this rail, for when it is ripe these birds are always 

 more abundant, stronger on the wing, and more deli- 

 cate of flavour. In fact, I believe it plays as impor- 

 tant a part in reference to the sorra as the Valisinera 

 does to the canvas-back duck. Although the stems 

 of this reed are very tall, their intermediate parts 

 are laced together by broken-down and decaying 

 vegetation, forming a kind of platform over the less 

 entwined roots. Under this screen, hid from the eyes 

 of their numerous winged foes, the rails find their 

 food. It is but seldom that a human being can 

 obtain a look into these obscure haunts. On one 



