RALLID.K — THE RAILS — I'ORZAXA. 



379 



in the West India Islands than with us. Its st'cictivc habits and its cxtrcnu'ly small 

 size favor its concealment, and explain its .'i])pai'ently great rarity, without necessa- 

 lily prcsuuiiui,' it to he very uncoinnion. since it may exist aiuindautly without its 

 ]ircsence being kn;)wn or suspected, it has been i'ound liy Mr. Krider breeding al)out 

 I'luladelphia, and its eggs have been obtained. It is given by Dr. (iuudlach as a i)ird 

 iilCuba, Imt without positive knowledge as to its l)reeding on tliat island. Mr. Gosse 

 states that a sjx'cinu'n of this s|)ecies was iirouglit to him in .(amaica in April alive 

 and unhurt. It lived in a cage two days, but scarccdy ate anytiiing. Aitliough once 

 (ir twice observed to pick in tlie nuul. in general it would not even w;dk upon it. It 

 was not at all timid; its nu)tions were very deliberate, it slowly raised its large 

 IVet, and then set them down without making even a stej). Its neck \vas usually 

 drawn in short; and then it presented very litHc of the ajjpearance of a Rail, but 

 rather that of a Tassenne bird. Wlu-n it w.'dked, its neck was more or less extended 

 iiorizontally, although it occasionally lu'idled ujt. AVhen standing still, the throat was 

 (iltcn ill sliglit vibration; l)ut there was no Hirting or erection of the tail. Mr. (Josse 

 iiu't with these birds on three other occasions. In the latter part of August, in the 

 morasses of Sweet Jviver, several of them Hew out from the low rushes at his feet, 

 and fluttering along for a few yards with a very labored flight, drojjped into the 

 dense rush again. In the manner of its flight, and in its flgure, this bird greatly 

 resembled a chicken. It flies, with its legs hanging inertly (h)wn, with feeble and 

 laborious motion, from one tuft of herbage to another, whence it will not emerge until 

 ahnost trodden on. Mr. CJosse heard it utter no sound ; but Iioliiiisoii, cpioted by Mr. 

 (Josse, in describing two of these l)ir(ls brought to him in October, 17G0, says their 

 cry was very low, resembling that of a foot at a distiMM-c. Jle noticed also their 

 peculiar flight and their mode of srpiatting. Several, Robinson adds, were killed 

 accidentally by the negroes at work, as the bird is so foolish as to hide its head, cock 

 up its rump, and think itself safe. It is then easily taken alive. The negroes in 

 Clarendon call it the "Cacky-(|uaw." from its cry. It is also, for the same reason, 

 called the "Kitty -go" and the ",T(^'iiny-ho '' in Westmondand. This cry, instead of 

 being limited to three syllables, is said by Mr. Mandi to be like rhi-chi-cro-croo-nvo, 

 sevi'ral tinu's rejjeated in sharp, high-toned notes, so as to be audible to a considerable 

 distance. 



A single example, agreeing in all resjiects with others from Jamaica, i,s stated by 

 ^fr. Salvin to have been shot by Mr. Fraser near the Lake of Duenas, in Guatemala. 

 It is also known to occur in South America as far south as Chili, 



Mr. Titian R. I'eale informed Audubon that, in duly, IS,'!!), he received from Dr. 

 Thomas Rowan an adult and four of its young alive, obtained near I'hilathdiihia. 

 Tlie young died soon after they were received, but the old bird lived four days. They 

 fed sparingly upon Indian meal and water, and soon ai)peared at home. The old 

 bird proved to be a male — rendering it rather remarkable that he should have allowed 

 liiiuself to be taken by hand in trying to defend his young brood. ]Mr. I'eale had in 

 liis museum another specimen, taken many years before, caught in the neighborhood 

 of Philadelphia. Mr. Kowan, sujjposing the old bird was a female, wrote to !Mr. 

 I'eale : ♦• The hen flew a few rods, and then flew back to her young in an instant, when 

 tiiey caught h(>r, together with her four young ones.'' He adds that he has seen the 

 s;iiue bird in his meadow every month of the year, and thinks that it is resident, and 

 ddcs not migrate to the south. 



Captain Charles TJendire writes me that he observed this Kail, in April, in the 

 vicinity of Lake Malheur, in Southeastern Oregon ; and he states later that he has 

 ag;un met with it, and that it \inquestionably breeds there. 



