RejMes, 149 



so completely exhausted as to be unable to fly again. I should be 

 obliged by the opinion of any of your correspondents, as to whether 

 this bird was on its way to or from the continent? Is it possible that 

 having taken a long flight overland, it was resting here before crossing 

 the channel ; or did its extreme state of exhaustion proceed from hav- 

 ing crossed ? I believe many of these rails arrive in the autumn, and 

 remain during the winter; and I have known but a solitary instance 

 of the bird breeding in this country, which occurred at Ocford pond, 

 near Godalming. — Waring Kidd; Brighton^ March 31, 1843. 



Anecdote of the capture of a Cayman. — 



" I now took the mast of the canoe in my hand (the sail being tied round the end 

 of the mast), and sunk down upon one knee, about four yards from the water's edge, 

 determining to thrust it down his throat, in case he gave me an opportunity. I cer- 

 tainly felt somewhat uncomfortable in this situation, and I thought of Cerberus on 

 the other side of the Styx ferry. The people pulled the cayman to the surface ; he 

 plunged furiously as soon as he arrived in these upper regions, and immediately went 

 below again on their slackening the rope. I saw enough not to fall in love at first 

 sight. I now told them we would run all risks, and have him on land immediately. 

 They pulled again and out he came — " Monstrum horrendum, informe." This was 

 an interesting moment. I kept my position firmly, with my eye fixed steadfast on him. 

 By the time the cayman was within two yards of me, I saw he was in a state of fear 

 and perturbation ; I instantly dropped the mast, sprung up, and jumped on his back, 

 turning half round as I vaulted, so that I gained my seat with my face in a right po- 

 sition. I immediately seized his fore legs, and, by main force, twisted them on his 

 back ; thus they served me for a bridle. He now seemed to have recovered from his 

 surprize, and probably fancying himself in hostile company, he began to plunge furi- 

 ously, and lashed the sand with his long and powerful tail. I was out of reach of the 

 strokes of it, by being near his head. He continued to plunge and strike, and made my 

 seat very uncomfortable. It must have been a fine sight for an unoccupied spectator. 



" The people roared out in triumph, and were so vociferous that it was some time 

 before they heard me tell them to pull me and my beast of burden farther in land. I 

 was apprehensive the rope might break, and then there would have been every chance 

 of going down to the regions under water with the cayman. That would have been 

 more perilous than Arion's marine morning ride : — 



" ' Delphini insidens vada caerula sulcat Arion.* 



" The people now dragged us above forty yards on the sand : it was the first and 

 last time I was ever on a cayman's back. Should it be asked, how I managed to keep 

 my seat, I would answer, — I hunted some years with Lord Darlington's fox-hounds. 

 After repeated attempts to regain his liberty, the cayman gave in, and became tranquil 

 through exhaustion. I now managed to tie up his jaws, and firmly secured his fore 

 feet in the position I had held them. We had now another severe struggle for superi- 

 ority, but he was soon overcome, and again remained quiet. While some of the people 

 were pressing upon his head and shoulders, I threw myself on his tail, and by keeping 



