RAIL. 



237 



for the south early in autumn. That many of them also 

 remain here to breed is proven by the testimony of persons of 

 credit and intelligence with whom I have conversed, both 

 here and on James River, in Virginia, who have seen their 

 nests, eggs, and young. In the extensive meadows that 

 border the Schuylkill and Delaware it was formerly common, 

 before the country was so thickly settled there, to find young 

 rail in the first mowing time among the grass. Mr James 

 Bartram, brother to the botanist, a venerable and still active 

 man of eighty-three, and well acquainted with this bird, says 

 that he has often seen and caught young rail in his own 

 meadows in the month of June ; he has also seen their nest, 

 which he says is usually in a tussock of grass, is formed of a 

 little dry grass, and has four or five eggs, of a dirty whitish 

 colour, with brown or blackish spots : the young run off as 

 soon as they break the shell, are then quite black, and run 

 about among the grass like mice. The old ones lie has very 

 rarely observed at that time, but the young often. Almost every 

 old settler along these meadows with whom I have conversed 

 has occasionally seen young rail in mowing time; and all 

 agree in describing them as covered with blackish down. 

 There can, therefore, be no reasonable doubt as to the resi- 

 dence of many of these birds, both here and to the northward, 

 during the summer. That there can be as little doubt rela- 

 tive to their winter retreat will appear more particularly 

 towards the sequel of the present account. During their 

 residence here, in summer, their manners exactly correspond 

 with those of the water crake of Britain, already quoted, so 

 that, though actually a different species, their particular habits 

 common places of resort, and eagerness for concealment, are 

 as nearly the same as the nature of the climates will admit. 



Early in August, when the reeds along the shores of the 

 Delaware have attained their full growth, the rail resort to 

 them in great numbers to feed on the seeds of this plant, of 

 which they, as well as the rice birds, and several others, are 

 immoderately fond. These reeds, which appear to be the 



