186 
RAIL 
To account for these extraordinary phenomena, it has been 
supposed, by some, that they bury themselves in the mud; but 
as this is every year dug into by ditchers and people employed 
in repairing the banks, without any of those sleepers being 
found, where but a few weeks before these birds were innume- 
rable, this theory has been generally abandoned. And here 
their researches into this mysterious matter generally end in the 
common exclamation of “What can become of them!” Some 
profound inquirers, however, not discouraged with these diffi- 
culties, have prosecuted their researches with more success; and 
one of those, living a few years ago near the mouth of James 
river, in Virginia, where the Rail or Sora are extremely nume- 
rous, has (as I was informed on the spot) lately discovered, that 
they change into frogs! having himself found in his meadows 
an animal of an extraordinary kind, that appeared to be neither 
a Sora nor a frog; but, as he expressed it, “something between 
the two.” He earned it to his negroes, and afterwards took it 
home, where it lived three days, and in his own, and his ne- 
groes’ opinion, it looked like nothing in this world but a real 
Sora, changing into a frog! What farther confirms this grand 
discovery, is the well known circumstance of the frogs ceasing 
to hollow. as soon as the Sora comes in the Fall. 
This sagacious discoverer, however, like many others renown- 
ed in history, has found but a few supporters; and except his 
own negroes, has not, as far as I can learn, made a single con- 
vert to his opinion. Matters being so circumstanced, and some 
explanation necessary, I shall endeavour to throw a little more 
light on the subject, by a simple detail of facts, leaving the read- 
er to form his own theory as he pleases. 
The Rail or Sora belongs to a genus of birds of which about 
thirty different species are enumerated by naturalists; and these 
are distributed over almost every region of the habitable parts 
of the earth. The general character of these is every where the 
same. They run swiftly, fly slowly, and usually with the legs 
hanging down; become extremely fat; are fond of conceal- 
ment; and, wherever it is practicable, prefer running to flying. 
