118 
RALLUS CAROLINUS. 
miles from the capes of the Delaware, one night the 
man at the helm was alarmed by a sudden crash on 
deck that broke the glass in the binnacle, and put out 
the light. On examining into the cause, three rail 
were found on deck, two of which were killed gn the 
spot, and the other died soon after. The late Bishop 
Madison, president of William and Mary College, Vir- 
ginia, assured me, that a Mr Skipwith, for some time 
our consul in Europe, on his return to the United 
States, when upwards of three hundred miles from the 
capes of the Chesapeake, several rail or soras, I think 
five or six, came on hoard, and were caught by the 
people. Mr Skipwith, being well acquainted with the 
bird, assured him that they w ere the very same with 
those usually killed on James river. I have received 
like assurances from several other gentlemen and captains 
of vessels who have met with these birds between the 
mainland and the islands, so as to leave no doubt on 
my mind of the fact. For why should it be considered 
incredible that a bird which can both swim and dive 
well, and at pleasure fly with great rapidity, as 1 have 
myself frequently w itnessed, should be incapable of 
migrating, like so many others, over extensive tracts of 
land or sea ? Inhabiting, as they do, the remote regions 
of Hudson’s Bay, w here it is impossible they could 
subsist during the rigours of their w inter, they must 
either emigrate from thence or perish ; and as the same 
places in Pennsylvania which abound with them in 
October are often laid under ice and snow' during the 
winter, it is as impossible that they could exist here 
in that inclement season ; Heaven has therefore given 
them, in common with many others, certain prescience 
of these circumstances, and judgment, as well as strength 
of flight, sufficient to seek more genial climates abounding 
with their suitable food. 
The rail is nine inches long, and fourteen inches in 
extent ; bill, yellow, blackish towards the point ; lores, 
front, crowm, chin, and stripe down the throat, black ; 
line over the eye, cheeks, and breast, fine light ash ; 
sides of the crown, neck, and upper parts generally. 
ll 
