i'lilim 





CHAPTER XIII. 



THE RAIL, OR SORA. RALLUS CAROLINUS. 



DESCRIPTION AND NOMENCLATURE. 



This somewhat mysterious Bird^ so well known throughout 

 certain portions of our country, under the appellation of Rail, 

 Sora, or Coot, resembles very closely both the Water Crake, or 

 Spotted Rail, and the Land Rail, or Corn Crake of England, not 

 only in its habits, but also in its general appearance. There 

 are few, if any, species of Birds in our country that offer more 

 tempting amusement to the young Sportsman, or a more agree- 

 able delicacy for the table, than the timid little Fowl that now 

 engages our attention. We will detain the reader for a few 

 moments while we transfer to our pages an abridged ornitholo- 

 gical description of this shy Bird, and will then pass on to a 

 consideration of some of its habits, more particularly those 

 within the range of our sporting friends, many of which instinc- 

 tive peculiarities have very justly been termed by casual ob- 

 servers mysterious ; all of which mysteries, however, we hope 

 to make perfectly plain to every one before the close of this 



