VELLOW-BREASTED RAIL. 521 
is shorter than the head, robust, much higher than broad at 
base, tapering, compressed and acute at the point: upper 
mandible furrowed at base only, a little curved at tip: the 
lower is navicular: the nostrils exactly medial, oblong. Ap- 
parently the group is easy to define; but as if nature took 
delight in baffling our attempts at exactness, the species are 
found to pass from one form to another by nice and insensible 
degrees. 
This rail, like all others, inhabits swamps, marshes, and 
the reedy margins of ditches and lakes. By a singular coin- 
cidence, it was in the market of New York that, in the begin- 
ning of February 1826, I first met with this pretty species, 
which appears to have escaped the industrious research of 
Wilson, although found equally in Pennsylvania in winter, 
where it is, however, very rare. We can hardly believe it is 
to be found in the south or south-west, notwithstanding we 
have been credibly informed of the circumstance. But we 
have no hesitation in declaring it an arctic bird, for we do 
not doubt that it is the Hudsonian quail of Latham, thus 
miscalled by superficial observers on account of its general 
resemblance in plumage and size to the true quail of Europe ; 
besides which, we have received it ourselves from the extreme 
northern limits of the American continent, and have informa- 
tion of its inhabiting near the most north-western lakes, such 
as the Athabasca. 
The crakes, as well as the true rails, lead a solitary life: 
they are timid and shy, screening themselves from observation 
amidst the tall reeds, so as hardly ever to be seen except when 
surprised, which does not very often happen, and forced for 
a moment to have recourse to their short wings. But they 
prefer to evade dangers by their rapid movements among the 
aquatic herbage, which the compressed form of their body 
enables them to execute with the greatest facility, however 
entangled the stalks or narrow the interstices. They also 
swim and dive tolerably well, when compelled to take the 
water, hiding all but the tip of the bill, but are by no means so 
