THE VIRGINIAN RAIL. 177 
seldom raise more than one brood, unless their eggs have been destroyed, 
whether by inundation or otherwise. 
The Virginian Rail is not without enemies ; and, although it manifests a 
good deal of courage, and at times acts towards the Marsh Hawk in the 
same manner as the Rallus crepitans, it seldom succeeds in its attempts, and 
;>n several occasions I have seen that bird seize them as they attempted to 
strike it with their bill and claws for the purpose of driving it away. 
The minx, the garfish, the snapping-turtle, and sometimes eels, destroy 
them, as well as the Sora Rail. 
Whilst at Charleston, in South Carolina, I frequently saw little strings 
of these birds exposed in the market, at a very low price ; and they are 
excellent eating during autumn and winter. Their comparative scarcity, 
however, prevents the gunner from searching after them with the same 
eagerness as he pursues the Rallus crepitans, and to shoot a dozen in the 
course of a day may be considered a remarkable feat. In that country, 
during the latter part of autumn, and in winter, they are usually met with 
in the salt-marshes bordering the estuaries of large rivers. 
Like the two preceding species, the Virginian Rail has the power of con- 
tracting its body to enable it to pass with more ease between the stalks of 
strong grasses or other plants. When observed unseen, it frequently jerks 
the tail upwards, in the manner of Gallinules, but the moment it notices 
any one of its enemies, it droops the tail, lowers its head, and runs off with 
the quickness of thought. 
The young of this species are at first of a black colour, like that of Rallus 
crepitans and R. elegans ; but, like those of the latter, attain the rufous hue 
of the parent birds before the commencement of winter, although they 
increase in size and improve in the depth of their tints probably for several 
years. 
Virginian Rail, Rallus virginianus, Wils. Amer. Orn., vol. vii. p. 109. 
Rallus virginianus, Bonap. Syn., p. 334. 
Lesser Clapper Rail, Nutt. Man., vol. ii. p. 205. 
Virginian Rail, Rallus virginianus, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. iii. p. 41 ; vol. v. p. 573. 
Male, 10£, 14^. Female, 9A 
Distributed through the country, and along the Atlantic shores, from 
.Texas to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia ; breeding in all the districts. 
Frequents fresh and salt water. Returns southward in autumn, when great 
numbers spend the winter from Carolina to Louisiana. 
Adult Male. 
Bill longer than the head, slender, compressed, slightly curved, deep at 
