RAIL. 371 



and white ; vent mixed with white, orange, and black ; wing coverts 

 reddish brown; ridge of the wing white; quills and tail dusky; 

 legs dark flesh-colour. The female is shorter by half an inch, and 

 the breast much paler, with more white on the chin and throat. 



Inhabits Pennsylvania; first appearing there in May, and depart- 

 ing in November ; called in New Jersey, Mud-Hen, as it constructs 

 the nest in the mud, at the bottom of a tuft of grass, composed of 

 old wet grass and rushes; the usual number of eggs from six to ten, 

 one inch and two-tenths long, by nearly half an inch ; dirty white, 

 or cream-colour, with specks of reddish, and pale purple, most at 

 the larger end; commences laying in May, and supposed to have 

 two broods in a season. It feeds on small snails, worms, larvae of 

 insects ; and sometimes on the seeds of vegetables ; common in 

 Georgia, among weeds and grass, and in rice fields. 



6.-CLAPPER RAIL. 



Rallus crepitans, Ind: Orn. ii. 756. Cm, Lin. i. 713. 



Clapper Rail, Gen. Syn. v. 229. Arct. Zool.'u. No. 407. Amer. Orn. vii. 112. pi. 

 63. f. 2. 



LENGTH from fourteen to eighteen inches, and eighteen or 

 more in extent. Bill two inches long, dusky brown ; irides dark red ; 

 crown, and all the upper parts of the plumage olive brown, the 

 feathers edged with pale ash-colour; chin, and line over the eye, 

 brownish white ; fore part of the neck and breast yellowish brown; 

 sides over the thighs and vent barred ash-colour and white ; legs 

 brown. Both sexes nearly alike. 



The young of the first year are olive brown above, streaked with 

 pale slate : wings pale brown olive ; chin, and part of the throat, 

 white ; legs pale horn-colour. 



Inhabits North America ; arrives at New York in May, and 

 departs in October : it first makes the nest of a little dry grass, and 



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