150 THE SORA RAIL. 



in the dusk of evening; but when you return to the place early next morn- 

 ing, they are all gone. Yesterday the weather was mild, to-day it is cold 

 and raw; and no doubt the Soras were aware that a change was at hand, and 

 secured themselves from its influence by a prompt movement under night. 

 It is probable that these sudden removals gave rise to the idea of their 

 diving into the mud. 



Rail, Rallus carolinus, Wils. Amer. Orn., vol. vi. p. 24. 



Rallus carolinus, Bonap. Syn., p. 334. 



Carolina Rail, Nutt. Man., vol. ii. p. 208. 



Sora Rail, Rallus carolinus, Aud. Orn. Bio°r., vol. iii. p. 251; vol. v. p. 572. 



Male, 9f, 14. 



Passes across the United States, both by the interior and along the coast. 

 Some breed in New Jersey. Rarely seen east of Massachusetts. Extremely 

 abundant in autumn on the Delaware, and other streams or lakes furnished 

 with wild oats. A few reside in Florida and Louisiana in winter. 



Adult Male. 



Bill shorter than the head, rather stout, deep, compressed, tapering. 

 Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight, being slightly convex 

 towards the end, the ridge flattish for a very short space at the base, very 

 slightly extended on the forehead, narrow in the rest of its extent; the sides 

 convex towards the end, the edges sharp, inflected, with a slight sinus close 

 to the tip. Nasal groove broad and extending to two-thirds of the length of 

 the bill; nostrils linear, lateral, submedial, pervious. Lower mandible with 

 the angle long and narrow, the sides erect, the dorsal line sloping upwards, 

 the edges inflected, the tip narrowed, the gap-line straight. 



Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck of moderate length. Body 

 rather slender, much compressed. Feet of moderate length, rather stout; 

 tibia bare a short way above the joint; tarsus of ordinary length, compressed, 

 anteriorly covered with broad scutella, posteriorly with smaller, and on the 

 sides reticulated. Hind toe very short and slender, middle toe longest and 

 longer than the tarsus, fourth considerably shorter than third, and a little 

 longer than second; toes free, scutellate above, much compressed, with an 

 inferior sharp margin. Claws rather long, exceedingly compressed, slightly 

 arched, tapering to a fine point, flat and marginate beneath. 



Plumage rather stiff, but blended, slightly glossed above. Feathers of the 

 forehead with the shaft enlarged and slightly extended beyond the tip. 

 Wings short and broad; alula large; primaries curved, broad, tapering, but 

 rounded, second longest, third scarcely shorter, first equal to sixth; seconda- 

 ries broad and rounded. Tail extremely short, much rounded, of twelve 



