112 
RALLUS CAROLINUS. 
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, “ 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 some- 
times stops short, and squats down, by w hich means its 
too eager pursuer overshoots the spot, and loses the 
trace. It seldom springs but w hen driven to extremity, 
and generally flies w ith 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 w^ater crake, or spotted 
rail of the same country, wffiich in its plumage approaches 
nearer to our rail, is another notable example of the 
same general habit of the genus. “ Its common abode,” 
says the same waiter, “ is in low swampy grounds, in 
w r hich are pools or streamlets overgrown with willows, ' 
reeds, and rushes, wdiere it lurks and hides itself with 
great circumspection ; it is wild, solitary, and shy, and 
w r ill swim, dive, or skulk under any cover, and some- 
times suffer itself to be knocked on the head, rather 
than rise before the sportsman and his dog.” The 
water rail of the same country is equally noted for the 
like habits. In short, the whole genus possess this 
strong family character in a very remarkable degree. 
These three species are well known to migrate into 
Britain early in spring, and to leave it for the more 
southern parts of Europe in autumn. Yet they are 
rarely or never seen on their passage to or from the 
countries where they are regularly found at different 
seasons of the year, and this for the very same reasons 
that they are so rarely seen even in the places where 
they inhabit. 
It is not therefore at all surprising, that the regular 
migrations of the American rail or sora should in like 
* Bewick’s British Birds , vol. i, p. 808 . 
