236 RAIL 



of the same country, which in its plumage approaches nearer 

 to our rail, is another notable example of the same general 

 habit of the genus. " Its common abode," says the same 

 writer, "is in low swampy grounds, in which are pools or 

 streamlets overgrown with willows, reeds, and rushes, where it 

 lurks and hides itself with great circumspection ; it is wild, 

 solitary, and shy, and will swim, dive, or skulk under any 

 cover, and sometimes suffer itself to be knocked on the head 

 rather than rise before the sportsman and his dog." The 

 water rail of the same country is equally noted for the like 

 habits. In short, the whole genus possess this strong family 

 character in a very remarkable degree. 



These three species are well known to migrate into Britain 

 early in spring, and to leave it for the more southern parts 

 of Europe in autumn. Yet they are rarely or never seen on 

 their passage to or from the countries where they are regularly 

 found at different seasons of the year, and this for the very 

 same reasons that they are so rarely seen even in the places 

 where they inhabit. 



It is not, therefore, at all surprising, that the regular migra- 

 tions of the American rail, or sora, should in like manner 

 have escaped notice in a country like this, whose population 

 bears so small a proportion to its extent, and where the study 

 of natural history is so little attended to. But that these 

 migrations do actually take place, from north to south, and 

 vice versa, may be fairly inferred from the common practice 

 of thousands of other species of birds less solicitous of con- 

 cealment, and also from the following facts. 



On the 22d day of February, I killed two of these birds in 

 the neighbourhood of Savannah, in Georgia, where they have 

 never been observed during the summer. On the 2d of 

 May following, I shot another in a watery thicket below 

 Philadelphia, between the rivers Schuylkill and Delaware, in 

 what is usually called the Neck. This last was a male, in 

 full plumage. We are also informed that they arrive at 

 Hudson's Bay early in June, and again leave that settlement 



