Rail-shooting 283 



can depend entirely on its legs to effect escape, 

 and a quick dog has difficulty in forcing the bird 

 to flight. The Virginia rail flies with feet hang- 

 ing down and quickly takes to cover, where it 

 darts off, running with tail erect. The food con- 

 sists of various water insects and animalculae, and 

 the flesh is not as highly prized as that of the 

 Carolina. The note is described as a keek-keek, 

 and is almost a squeak, this uttered particularly at 

 times when the bird is distressed, when the nest is 

 approached. It is found in the more northern 

 haunts late in April, and at this time the birds 

 sometimes straggle into the markets. In May 

 they breed on the fresh-water marshes of the 

 interior, and to a less extent on the coast, con- 

 structing a nest of grass, often placing it at the 

 bottom of a tuft, roughly arching the top. The 

 eggs are eight to ten in number and large for 

 the size of the bird. The young are covered with 

 black down with a white spot on the bill, and 

 utter a faint peep if disturbed. In New England 

 I have found this rail most common early in 

 August, and frequently flushed them from the 

 short grass of the meadows, while looking for 

 yellow legs. Undoubtedly their habits have 

 much to do with the apparent scarcity of the 

 species. From its disposition to keep to the 

 fresh-water marshes, this rail often goes by 

 the name of fresh-water marsh-hen. Early frosts 



