242 
RAIL. 
with Rail, which are sold from half a dollar to a dollar a dozen. 
Soon after the 20th of October, at which time our first smart 
frosts generally take place, these birds move off to the south. 
In Virginia, they usually remain until the first week in 
November. 
Since the above was written, I have received, from Mr 
George Ord of Philadelphia, some curious particulars relative 
to this bird, which, as they are new, and come from a 
gentleman of respectability, are worthy of being recorded, and 
merit farther investigation. 
44 My personal experience,” says Mr Ord, 64 has made me 
acquainted with a fact in the history of the Rail, which perhaps 
is not generally known, and I shall, as briefly as possible, 
communicate it to you. Some time in the autumn of the 
year 1809, as I was walking in a yard, after a severe shower 
of rain, I perceived the feet of a bird projecting from a spout. 
I pulled it out, and discovered it to be a Rail, very vigorous, 
and in perfect health. The bird was placed in a small room, 
on a gin-case, and I was amusing myself with it, when, in 
the act of pointing my finger at it, it suddenly sprang forward, 
apparently much irritated, fell to the floor, and, stretching out 
its feet, and bending its neck until the head nearly touched the 
back, became to all appearance lifeless. Thinking the fall 
had killed the bird, I took it up, and began to lament my 
rashness in provoking it. In a few minutes it again breathed, 
and it was some time before it perfectly recovered from the 
fit, into which, it now appeared evident, it had fallen. I 
placed the Rail in a room, wherein Canary Birds were con- 
fined, and resolved that, on the succeeding day, I would 
endeavour to discover whether or not the passion of anger had 
produced the fit. I entered the room at the appointed time, 
and approached the bird, which had retired, on beholding me, 
in a sullen humour, to a corner. On pointing my finger at 
it, its feathers were immediately ruffled, and in an instant it 
sprang forward, as in the first instance, and fell into a similar 
fit. The following day, the experiment was repeated with 
