RAF.MD.K - TIIK RAILS - PMIJZANA. 



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a liciKlit (iT ten fci't, rovrriii),' triuts ol' niiuiy iirics in cxti'iit. I lie stalks ^'luwiii^' 

 so clost'ly t()},'t'tLt'V that a Imat, fXir|itinn at lii^,'li waliT. can liaidly make its way 

 tlir(ni;,'li tlii'ia, The srcil of tliis jilaiil is Imi;,' ami slciidtT, wliitc in cdldr. sweet tn 

 the taste, anil veiy nntritinus. \\ hen the reeds are in irnil the Uails in ^'leat nnni- 

 iiei's take iMissession (d' them. At this season a |iers()?i walkiii;,' ahai^' the iianks of 

 the river may liear their eries in every direelinn, IC a stone is thrown anion^' the 

 reeds there is a j,'eneral onlery and a reiterated /:iik-/.ii /,-/,■ ii/,\ like tin' seream (d' a 

 (iaiiiea-Cowl. Any sudden noise prodnees the same ei't'eet. None id the lards. Iiow- 

 e\er. eaii he seen exeejit at hii,di-\\aler ; and when the tide is low tlie\ kei'|i secreted, 

 and a man may walk where there are hundreds of iheni without seein]L,f a siuj^le one, 



On its first airival tins liiid is veiy lean; hut as the seeds ripen it- iapidl\ latleus, 

 and I'roui thel'tlth <d' Septendier to the middle ol <>ctolier is in excellent condition. 

 The usual mode id' shoot ini; it on the Didaware is as alreadv descrihed idr the llacken- 

 sack Iviver and marshes. The sportsman reipiires a li]i;ht skill', a stout and expe- 

 rienced hoatman, and a pole iil'teen I'eet in lenf,'th, thickened at the lower end. .\liout 

 two hour.s hel'ore hi,i,di-wati'i' the hunter ami his c(Uupanion enter the reeds, and each 

 takes his post, the lornH'r staudin;,,' in the how, the latter on the stern-seat, jaishinj,' 

 the skill steadily throuj^h the leeds. 'i'he Hails I'ise, one by one. as the hoat is moved 

 alony;. and only at a .short distajice in trout id' it. I'ladi liird is instantly shot down, 

 the hoatnuin keepinj^ his eye on the spot where the hird tell, directing' the boat for- 

 ward, and collectin;,' the ^imw while the hunter is reloadin.i:;. in this manner the 

 sjiurt is carried on; the boat heiuj,' pushed .steadily throuj,di the reeds, the birds an^ 

 tlushcd and shot, the Ininter alternatidy loadin}( and tiriiif;, and the iissi.stant pushing 

 the skiff and ]>iekin^' up the fallen i,'ame. This is contiinied until an hour or two 

 alter hi^di water, when they are compelled hy the fall of the tide to retire. In these 

 cM'ursions it is not uncommon for an active and expert, marksman to kill from a 

 hundred to a hundred and fifty iiails in a sin;,de tide. .\s two bii'ds rarely, if ever, 

 lise toi^ether. each must be shot. sin,i;ly. 



The flight of the Sora Uail among the reeds is usually low, and, sludtpv being 

 abundant, is rarely extended to more than iifty or a hundred yards. When winged, 

 and mnnjnred in its legs, it dives and swims with great I'apidity. aiul is siddom seen 

 a^ain. On such occasions it has been found clinging with its feet to the I'eeds, under 

 the water, or skulking under the floating vegetation with its bill just above tlu' sur- 

 face. This bird is apparently weak and delicate, in everything exce])t its legs; but 

 these jOTssess great vigor; and its body being remaikid)ly thin, it is able to jiass 

 readily between the veeds. Though its tiight seems fecdde, yet it occasionally rises 

 to a considerable height, stretcdu's its legs out behind it, and liies nii)i(lly ivcross the 

 |)claware where it is more than a mile wide, 



in N'irginia, along the shores of the Iviver .bnues. in the tide-water regions, this 

 Hail is found in the fall in jirodigious ininibers ; ami there it is usually taken at 

 night, and in a different maniu'r, A kind of ii'ou grate is iixed on the top of a stout 

 pole, whiidi is placed, like a mast, in a small canoe, and tilled with sonui light com- 

 bustible. The man who manages the ranoe i.s provided with ,a paddle ten or twidve 

 IVct in length, and, about an hour before high-water, enters the reeds. The space 

 lor a considerable extent around is well lighted, the birds are bewildered, and as 

 they appear are knocked down with the i)adille. In this manner from twenty 

 to eighty dozen have been killed by three lu'groes in the short space of three 

 hours, 



T''his lirflK is freciiiently met with at sea b(>tween our shores and the West India 

 Islands. Mr. Lewis, in the "American Sportsnum," refers to a living example taken 



fr- [I 



