J06 
ItALLUS CnEPITANS. 
and frequently flirted up. On fair «;round, they 
nearly as fast as a man ; havinj^ myself, witli 
difficulty, caught some that were wiiig-brohen, 
have also the faculty of remaining under water 
several minutes, clinging close, head donniwards, 
In a long stretch, thev II V 
the roots of the grass. 
great velocity, very ranch in the nianiier of a dun 
with extended neck, and gouenilly low ; but such ^ 
their aversion to take wing, that you may trav?^ 
the marshes where there arc hundreds of these hif'j 
without seeing one of them ; nor will they flush u"^ 
they have led the dog through numerous labyrinth 
and he is on the very point of seizing them. j 
The food of the clapper rail consists of small sh*^ 
fish, particularly those of the snail form, so ahuut!i*5 
1 VI ....A .1) t mi * . 
ill 
in the marshes ; they also eat .small crabs'. Their df. 
is dry, tastes sedgy, and n ill hear no comparison u^' 
that of the common rail. Early in October, they 
off to the south ; and though, even in iviuter, a solil**k 
iustaiice of one may sometimes be seen, yet these ^ 
generally such as have been neak or wounded, ^ 
unable to perforin the journey. . 
The clapper rail measures fourteen inches in IculT 
and eighteen in extent; the bill is two inches nujj 
quarter long, slightly bent, pointed, grooved, and 0 \ 
reddish brown colour; iris of the eye, dark red; nos^'j 
oblong, pervious ; crown, nock, and hack, black, strculij 
with dingy brown ; chin and line over the eye, broWU^ 
white; aiiricnlars, dusky; neck before, and ^ 
breast, of the same red brown as that of the preced'* 
species; niug-coverts, dark chestnut; quill-featbi'j 
plain dusky; legs, reddish bronn ; flanks and ’'‘’Jj 
black, tipt, or barred with white. The males * 
females are nearly alike. . 
The young birds of the first year have the upl^ 
parts of an olive brown, streaked with pale 
wings, pale brown olive ; chin and part of the thrj^ 
white; hi'cast, ash colour, tinged with brown; 
and feet, a pale horn colour. Mr Pennant, and sevfy 
other naturalists, appear to have taken their descripA'' 
