. A Book of ornithology, for youth. Embracing descriptions of the most interesting and remarkable birds in all countries, with particular notices of American birds . igourous in the wings and run withgreat swiftness. COMMON RAIL. In Virginia this bird is called Sora, and in South Caro-lina, the Coot. Its history is involved in secrecy. Noone can detect the first moment of its arrival, but all atonce the reedy shores and grassy marshes of our largerivers swarm with them, thousands being sometimes foundwithin the space of a few acres. These fly so feebly andflutteringly among the reeds, as to re
. A Book of ornithology, for youth. Embracing descriptions of the most interesting and remarkable birds in all countries, with particular notices of American birds . igourous in the wings and run withgreat swiftness. COMMON RAIL. In Virginia this bird is called Sora, and in South Caro-lina, the Coot. Its history is involved in secrecy. Noone can detect the first moment of its arrival, but all atonce the reedy shores and grassy marshes of our largerivers swarm with them, thousands being sometimes foundwithin the space of a few acres. These fly so feebly andflutteringly among the reeds, as to render it seemingly im-possible that they should be able to make their way overa large extent of country. Yet on the first smart frostthe whole suddenly disappear. The Rail resort in great numbers to the shores of theDelaware, to feed on the seeds of the full-grown reeds. 244 THE CORN CRAKE. Their flight is exceedingly low, and, shelter being abund-ant, is rarely extended far. They swim and dive withgreat rapidity, and sometimes when wounded, they dive,and rising under the gunwale of the boat, secrete them-selves until they have an opportunity of escaping unno-. ticed. They are feeble and delicate in everything butthe legs, which seem to possess great vigour and energy ;and their bodies are so remarkably thin that they can passbetween the reeds like rats. The Rail is nine inches long; front, crown and chinblack; upper parts olive brown streaked with black andwhite ; the breast ash, marked with lines of white. THE CORN CRAKE. This bird is found in large numbers in the north of Eng-land and in Ireland; and inhabits Germany, France, Italy,and as far north as Norway. It lives in high grass or THE COOT. 245 corn, where it builds a nest of a few dry plants, and laystwelve or fourteen eggs. It weighs seven or eight ouncesand measures nine inches and a half. The whole upperparts are of a rufous brown, the coverts of the wing and
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookidbookoforni, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1832
