. The American sportsman: containing hints to sportsmen, notes on shooting, and the habits of the game birds and wild fowl of America . CHAPTER XV. ^^^ CLAPPER-RAIL, OR MUD-HEN. RALLUS CREPITANS. NOMENCLATURE, ETC. UD-HENS, meadow-clappers, or big rails,(for by these appellations this fowl is morefamiliarly known to the coast-shooters,)are met with along our whole Atlanticboard, from the southernmost extremitiesof Florida even as far north as the NewEngland States. The clapper-rail is alarge bird, and affords at times consider-able sport to the shooter: the flesh, however, notwithstanding all
. The American sportsman: containing hints to sportsmen, notes on shooting, and the habits of the game birds and wild fowl of America . CHAPTER XV. ^^^ CLAPPER-RAIL, OR MUD-HEN. RALLUS CREPITANS. NOMENCLATURE, ETC. UD-HENS, meadow-clappers, or big rails,(for by these appellations this fowl is morefamiliarly known to the coast-shooters,)are met with along our whole Atlanticboard, from the southernmost extremitiesof Florida even as far north as the NewEngland States. The clapper-rail is alarge bird, and affords at times consider-able sport to the shooter: the flesh, however, notwithstanding all the arts of the mditre de cuisine to the contrary, is universally 237. 238 lewiss AMERICAN SPORTSMAN. insipid, drj, and sedgy. This fowl is not known in Europe, l^ut itsomewhat resembles the moor-hen (Furtica chlorophus) of England,both in its habits, size, and the savorless character of its meat. Clapper-rails are extremely shy and secret in their habits, andare only to be found along the salt marshes of the sea-shore andthe large rivers of the Atlantic States. They are always abun-dant in New Jersey and Delaw^are, and sometimes quite numerousin the brackish fens of Long Island. The mud-hen is a migratorvbird, and arrives from the South on the coast of New Jersey andthe neighboring States about the middle of April. Though comingunobserved in the stillness of the night, they soon make theirpresence known to the inhabitants of those districts by the soundof their harsh and never-ceasing cackle, somewhat resembling thewell-known tremulous cry of the Guinea-fowd, Although themarshes and sedgy meadow^s, in the course of a very few daysafter their first appea
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