THE RAIL. 205 



asserted that the transmigration of the Sora into the Frog was 

 the true secret of the sudden disappearance of this Bird ; and, 

 moreover, that he^ the originator of the strange notion, had in 

 his possession for several days an animal of an extraordinary 

 kind, neither a Rail nor a Frog, in fact, something between the 

 two ; but unfortunately for the progress of science, not being 

 accustomed to the captivity and over kindness that was lavished 

 upon it by its lucky possessor, the animal died before the change 

 was complete, and this remarkable lusus naturse was thus lost to 

 the investigations of the curious in such matters. 



What rendered this singular hypothesis more striking, and 

 confirmed the originator in his preconceived notions, was the 

 circumstance of the Frogs generally ceasing to croak about the 

 time of the coming of the Rails in our rivers. This opinion, 

 however, has gained but little ground, as few persons are to be 

 found so credulous as to place any faith in a notion so extremely 

 absurd. There are several species of Rails known in England. 

 They arrive there in the spring in the same mysterious manner 

 that they do with us in the summer, and depart at the first 

 approach of frost for more southern climes, in a like unceremo- 

 nious style, seldom or never being seen on their passage either 

 to or from the countries where at certain seasons they abound. 

 So very shy is this Bird, that, although almost every meadow 

 and clover field in England resounds during the spring with 

 the eternal crek crek of the Land Rail, very few are shot, and the 

 Bird itself is scarcely known to the country people, notwith- 

 standing they constantly hear its well-known <^ek crek^ when- 

 ever they go into the fields. For such is the secret, skulking, 

 and solitary habits of this little Bird, that they very seldom 

 take wing, not even when hotly pressed by a Dog; and all our 

 Sportsmen know how difiicult it is to spring this Bird with us, 

 even with the assistance of a boat and a long pole to beat the 

 reeds with. 



Notwithstanding the different notions respecting the move- 

 ments of our Soras, it is certain that these Birds, like many 

 other species, perform regular migrations from North to South, 

 and return in the same way, during the following spring ; and 

 it is also probable that their flights take place in the night, owing 

 to their instinctive desire to court concealment. Wilson tells 



