122 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 



The birds breed along the Atlantic coast as far north as 

 Massachusetts. They arrive in New Jersey from the 

 south about the middle of April and leave at the approach 

 of cold weather in October or November, a few remain- 

 ing in the southern part of the state if the season is not 

 very cold. 



Their cry is generally heard at night, about as unmusi- 

 cal as that of the Guinea Fowl, which it resembles. 



They feed on shell-fish, snails and small crabs and their 

 flesh has a sedgy flavor. 



JRail, M£ing, or JWarsh Hen. — Length, fifteen inches; 

 extent, eighteen inches; bill, two and two-fifths inches. 

 This is the fresh-water congener of the Clapper Eail, and 

 in size and pattern of coloration is exactly like it, differ- 

 ing only in its tints. Above it is rich brown, each feath- 

 er centrally streaked with black, except on the head, 

 where the color is uniform dark brown, and the wings, 

 which are chestnut brown; under surface of the body, 

 bright rusty; throat and center of belly, white; flanke and 

 hinder part of belly, barred with black and white. 



The nest is built of grasses in fresh water marshes; the 

 eggs are from seven to twelve in number, of a yellowish 

 white, with brown spots, and one and two-thirds by one 

 and one-fifth inches in size. 



They breed northward to the Middle States and have 

 been known to breed in New Jersey, where they are, how- 

 ever, not very common and found ■ only in summer. 

 They spend the winter in the southern part of the United 

 States. 



Rail, T*irginia, Liittle Red Rail, or Fresh, IWater 

 Jflud Hen. — Length, ten inches; extent, fourteen inches; 

 bill, one and a half inches, dusky red. This bird is almost 

 an exact miniature of the King Eail, the tints of its plu- 

 mage being exactly the same except that the present 

 species has the sides of the head a bluish lead color. The 



