234 
RAIL, 
and some explanation necessary, I shall endeavour to throw a 
little more light on the subject by a simple detail of facts, 
leaving the reader 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 those 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 concealment; and, wherever it is practicable, 
prefer running to flying. Most of them are migratory, and 
abound during the summer in certain countries, the inhabitants 
of which have very rarely an opportunity of seeing them. Of 
this last the Land Rail of Britain is a striking example. This 
bird, which during the summer months may be heard in 
almost every grass and clover field in the kingdom, uttering 
its common note crek , crek , from sunset to a late hour in the 
night, is yet unknown by sight to more than nine-tenths of the 
inhabitants. “ Its well known cry,” says Bewick, 6( is first 
heard as soon as the grass becomes long enough to shelter it, 
and continues till the grass is cut ; but the bird is seldom seen, 
for it constantly skulks among the thickest part of the herbage, 
and runs so nimbly through it, winding and doubling in every 
direction, that it is difficult to come near it ; when hard pushed 
by the dog, it sometimes stops short, and squats down, by 
which means its too eager pursuer overshoots the spot, and 
loses the trace. It seldom springs but when driven to 
extremity, and generally flies with its legs hanging down, 
but never to a great distance ; as soon as it alights, it runs off, 
and, before the fowler has reached the spot, the bird is at a 
considerable distance.”* The Water Crake, or Spotted Rail, 
of the same country, which in its plumage approaches nearer 
to our Rail, is another notable example of the same general 
habit of the genus. 66 Its common abode,” says the same 
* Bewick’s British Birds , vol. i. p. 308. 
