137 
|j Rqllus virginianus, 
1871. 
Middlesex County, Mass. 
(May 17) 
A female pursued, and finally caught, by my dogs 
absolutely refused to fly but repeatedly swam across a 
wide brook and v/hen hard pressed, took to diving, re¬ 
maining under water a minute or more at a time. 
1872. 
Apr. 17. 
Found one in a little isolated briar patch in a 
meadow. Three of us with three dogs , were actually 
unable to force it to take wing although several times 
we nearly caught it in our hands. 
1874. 
Sept.22, 
Swarming in the Fresh Pond swamps. At the report 
or a gun dozens cry ou t from all parts of these watery 
retreats. 
Oct. 7. 
Have not seen one this fall although I have hunted 
the Fresh Pond marshes daily. 
• 20. 
Shot two in a bushy swamp near the Fresh Pond cross¬ 
ing; they v/ere unquestionably migrants as none have been 
seen in these sv/amps since August. 
1875, 
May 7. 
Near Block Island, and in the Brickyard Swamp Rails 
of both species were fairly swarming this evening. In 
one little meadow interspersed with thickets of bushes, 
there must have been dozens of each species and I frequent 
ly heard four or five calling at once. The Virginia 
Rail has only two notes that I am acquainted with. One 
which I think is the song of the male is a rasping note 
repeated a number of times in quick succession in a de¬ 
scending scale. It is indescribable and I can only com¬ 
pare it to a certain complaining sound made byv a hungry 
pig. The other is a shor t scream of alarm. 
• 22. 
Several on Rock meadow, Belmont, 
“ 27. 
Searched the Fresh Pond swamps thoroughly but the on¬ 
ly Rail seen was a single bird of this species. The 
meadows are unusually dry, a fact v/hich probably accounts 
for the absence of these birds from their favorite haunts. 
June 1, 
Started only one in the Fresh Pond swamps. It rose 
with ease drawing up its logs and flew nearly as fast as 
a Snipe. 
* 10. 
In the Fresh Pondswamps I came upon a pair of Vir¬ 
ginia Rails that evidently had a brood of young. Both 
old birds were very bald, approaching within ten i'eet and 
reiterating a single angry squeal resembling that of a 
startled pig, I could not find the young but upon 
withdrawing a short distance distinctly heard their fee¬ 
ble lisping as they called to one another or their par¬ 
ents; this cry was indistinguishable from that of the 
young Carolina Rails heard last season. 
