108 RALLUS VIRGIN!. \ 



of body, its aversion to take winir, and the dexterity 

 with which it runs or conceals itself among the grass 

 and sedge, are exactly .similar to those of the common 

 rail, from which genus, notwithstanding the difference 

 of its bill, it ought not to be separated. 



This bird is known to some of the inhabitants along 

 the sea-coast of New Jersey, by the name of the fresh- 

 water mud hen, this last being the common appellation 

 of the clapper rail, which the present species resembles 

 in every thing but size. The epithet fresh-water is 

 given it, because of its frequenting those parts of the 

 marsh only where fresh water springs rise through the 

 bogs into the salt marshes. In these places it usually 

 constructs its nest, one of which, through the active 

 exertions of my friend Mr Ord, while traversing \\ith 

 me the salt marshes of Cape May, we had the good 

 fortune to discover. It was built in the bottom of a 

 tuft of grass, in the midst of an almost impenetrable 

 quagmire, and was composed altogether of old wet grass 

 and rushes. The eggs had been floated out of the iii-^t 

 by the extraordinary rise of the tide in a violent north- 

 east storm, and lay scattered about among the drift 

 weed. The female, however, still lingered near the 

 spot, to which she was so attached, as to suffer herself 

 to be taken by hand. She doubtless intended to repair 

 her nest, and commence laying anew; as, during the 

 few hours that she was in our posse^imi, she laid <me 

 fegg, corresponding in all respects with the others. On 

 examining those floated out of the nest, they contained 

 young, perfectly formed, but dead. The usual number 

 of eggs is from six to ten. They are shaped like tlu^e 

 of the domestic hen, measuring one inch and two-tenths 

 long, by very nearly half an inch in width, and are of a 

 dirty white, or pale cream colour, sprinkled with specks 

 of reddish and pale purple, most numerous near the 

 great end. They commence laying early in May, and 

 probably raise two brood in the season. I suspect this 

 from the circumstance of Mr Ord having, late in the 

 month of July, brought me several young ones of only a 

 few days old, which were caught among the grass near 



