CLAPPER-RAIL, OR MUD-HEN. 239 



Wilson mentions an instance where this calamity took place 

 twice during one season, and, notwithstanding these sad misfor- 

 tunes, this persevering fowl commenced building anew the third 

 time, and in two weeks their eggs appeared as numerous as ever. 

 On these occasions, hundreds of mud-hens are destroyed by the 

 ruthless hands of idle boys, and even grown persons, many of 

 whom avail themselves, as before observed, of every opportunity 

 to sacrifice the lives of the inferior animals, from a mere love of 

 cruelty, or to gratify a montrous propensity for shedding blood. 



The clapper-rail swims expertly and dives with considerable 

 facility, often remaining under the water for several minutes at 

 a time, holding on to the roots of the marine plants that grow at 

 the bottom of the inlets and guts which intersect the marshes 

 whereon these birds congregate. 



It is almost impossible to flush them ; and the only chance the 

 sportsman has to shoot them is by going on the marshes in a light 

 boat during a high tide, when, from want of shelter, they are 

 obliged, like the soras, to seek safety in flight, and are then easily 

 knocked over. When the tide is not sufficiently high for this 

 sport, many may be killed by moving noiselessly along the guts in 

 a boat and keeping a sharp look-out on all sides for the many 

 clappers that will ever and anon be seen stealing down to the 

 water's edge, to drink, or to pick up the small shell-fish and aquatic 

 insects which are deposited upon the banks. A good retriever 

 would prove a useful dog in these expeditions, to recover and 

 bring to hand the wounded birds, 'as when only slightly struck the 

 clapper-rail is very tenacious of life, and runs with so much ease 

 through the reeds and matted grass that few sportsmen, no matter 

 how agile they may be, can overtake them. The dog should be 

 as small as possible ; otherwise he will not be able to follow the 

 bird through the twistings of the pathways, or rather archways, 

 which it forms all through the reeds. 



The flight of the clapper-rail is very similar to that of the sora ; 

 and being, if any thing, even more slow and labored, it requires 

 but an indifferent shot to bring them down. We have killed these 



