RAIL. 243 



white, the breast pale brown, and little or no black on the 

 head. The males may always be distinguished by their ashy 

 blue breasts and black throats. 



During the greater part of the months of September and 

 October, the market of Philadelphia is abundantly supplied 

 with rail, which are sold from half a dollar to a dollar a dozen. 

 Soon after the 20th of October, at which time our first smart 

 frosts generally take place, these birds move off to the south. 

 In Virginia, they usually remain until the first week in 

 November. 



Since the above was written, I have received from Mr George 

 Ord of Philadelphia some curious particulars relative to this 

 bird, which, as they are new, and come from a gentleman of 

 respectability, are worthy of being recorded, and merit further 

 investigation. 



" My personal experience," says Mr Ord, " has made me 

 acquainted with a fact in the history of the rail which per- 

 haps is not generally known, and I shall, as briefly as possible, 

 communicate it to you. Some time in the autumn of the 

 year 1809, as I was walking in a yard, after a severe shower 

 of rain, I perceived the feet of a bird projecting from a spout. 

 I pulled it out, and discovered it to be a rail, very vigorous, 

 and in perfect health. The bird was placed in a small room, 

 on a gin-case, and I was amusing myself with it, when, in the 

 act of pointing my finger at it, it suddenly sprang forward, 

 apparently much irritated, fell to the floor, and, stretching out 

 its feet, and bending its neck until the head nearly touched 

 the back, became to all appearance lifeless. Thinking the 

 fall had killed the bird, I took it up, and began to lament my 

 rashness in provoking it. In a few minutes it again breathed, 

 but it was some time before it perfectly recovered from the 

 fit into which, it now appeared evident, it had fallen. I 

 placed the rail in a room wherein canary birds were confined, 

 and resolved that, on the succeeding day, I would endeavour 

 to discover whether or not the passion of anger had produced 



