THE RAIL. 209 



wliicli to commence the art of shooting flying, althougli it will 

 require some considerable experience to make the Tyro pro- 

 ficient in the science of balancing his body in the boat while it 

 is being pushed through the reeds. 



The Sora seldom flies more than fifty or a hundred yards at 

 a time, and often not so far. The}'" merely rise with extended 

 legs, and flutter, as it were, lazily over the tops of the reeds, 

 and then drop down again. We have, however, seen them, 

 when hard pressed by numerous Shooters, direct their course 

 across the Delaware, and seemed to gain strength and energy as 

 they pursued their venturesome way. 



When wounded, Rails exhibit considerable cunning, and fre- 

 quently display great ingenuity in their efforts to escape. They 

 swim with ease, and dive very expertly, occasionally remaining 

 under water for some moments, clinging to the reeds with their 

 feet ; and w^e have often observed them secreted and perfectly 

 motionless under the sides of the boat, or floating under the 

 broken reeds with the point of their bill protruding above the 

 surface of the water, to enable them to breathe, in which po- 

 sition they will continue until an opportunity offers for escaping 

 from their pursuer. 



In the month of July, the Soras are found further North, and 

 we hear of them being shot upon the marshy shallows in the 

 neighborhood of Detroit, where another species of reed, to which 

 they are also partial, is seen to grow; and no doubt there are 

 many places along our Northern frontier that are visited by 

 these Birds, in their annual migrations. Rails are very sensi- 

 tive to cold, and seldom remain with us longer than the month 

 of October ; and it is quite useless to go in quest of them after 

 a smart frost or two, even if it should occur quite early in the 

 season, as they will generally be found to have abandoned their 

 haunts as suddenly as they came to them. The season of 1846 

 was a remarkably favorable one for the stay of the Soras in our 

 rivers, and we understand that until November 25th of that year 

 they lingered in considerable numbers among the reeds, luxuri- 

 ating upon their tender seeds, and awaiting the first cold spell 

 to speed them on their tedious journey to the South. 



14 



