376 ORALLY. RALLID^E. 



in the morasses of Sweet River, several of these 

 little Rails, one at a time, flew out from the low 

 rushes before my feet, and fluttering along for 

 a few yards, with a very laboured flight, dropped 

 in the dense rush again. Their manner of flight, 

 and their figure greatly resembled those of a 

 chicken ; the legs hung inertly down. I saw another 

 in February, by the border of the River at the 

 Short Cut, flying with the same feeble and la- 

 borious motion, from one tuft of herbage to another, 

 whence it would not emerge till almost trodden 

 on. 



I have not heard it utter any sound; but Ro- 

 binson, in describing two that were brought to 

 him alive in October, 1760, says, " their cry was 

 very low, and resembled that of a Coot, when 

 at a great distance." He notices also their pecu- 

 liar mode of flight, as well as their habit of squat- 

 ting. " Several," he observes, " were killed ac- 

 cidentally, by the negroes at work; as they are 

 so foolish as to hide their heads, and, cocking up 

 their rumps, think they are safe, when they are 

 easily taken." (MSS. iii. 112.) He says elsewhere, 

 " The negroes in Clarendon call it Cacky-quaw, 

 by reason of its cry, which consists of three ar- 

 ticulations ; the negroes in Westmoreland call it 

 Johnny Ho, and Kitty Go, for the same reason." 

 (iii. 134.) 



The gizzard of the one that I examined, con- 

 tained a few hard seeds. The body is much com- 

 pressed. 



The speckled plumage, rufous neck, and scarlet 

 eyes, constitute this a species of much beauty. 



