YELLOW RAIL. 
195 
Striking of a flint and steel ; at other times it makes a shriek- 
ing noise.” It is evident, therefore, that the Yellow- breasted 
Rail is principally a Northern species, which migrates mostly 
through the western interior of the continent, and is therefore 
very rare in the Atlantic States. 
Like all the other species, the present inhabits swamps, 
marshes, and the reedy margins of ditches and lakes. In the 
vicinity of West Cambridge, and throughout the vast extent of 
wet marsh-land which stretches over the face of the country, 
and is but rarely visited by man, among the Virginia Rails 
and a few stragglers of the Sora we occasionally meet with 
this small and remarkable species. The first individual ever 
brought to me, late in autumn, was surprised, while feeding on 
insects or seeds, by the margin of a small pool overgrowh with 
the leaves of the water-lily {Nymphcea odorata). Without 
attempting either to fly or swim, it darted nimbly over the 
floating leaves, and would have readily escaped, but for the 
arrest of the fatal gun, which baffled its cunning and precau- 
tion. When wounded, this bird also swims and dives with 
great address. 
On the 6th of October, 1831, having spent the night in a 
lodge on the borders of Fresh Pond, employed for decoying 
and shooting ducks, I heard about sunrise the Yellow-breasted 
Rails begin to stir among the reeds (Arundo phragmitis) that 
thickly skirt this retired border of the lake, and in which, 
among a host of various kinds of Pflackbirds, they had for some 
time roosted- every night. As soon as awake, they called out 
in an abrupt and cackling cry, 'kr'ek, 'kr'ek, ’krek, 'kr'ek, kuk 
'k’kh, which note, apparently from the young, was answered by 
the parent (probably the hen), in a lower soothing tone. The 
whole of these uncouth and guttural notes have no bad resem- 
blance to the croaking of the tree-frog, as to sound. This call 
and answer, uttered every morning, is thus kept up for several 
minutes in various tones, till the whole family, separated for 
the night, have met and satisfactorily recognized each other. 
These are, no doubt, migrating broods who have arrived from 
the North about the time stated for their departure by Mr. 
