32 G R E A T R E D - B R E A S T E D RAIL.
brown; secondaries and tail-feathers like the back. Sides and fore part
of the neck, and greater part of the breast, bright orange-brown ; sides
and lower wing-coverts undulated with deep brown and greyish-white;
tibial feathers pale greyish-brown, faintly barred with darker, as is the
hind part of the abdomen, the fore part being uniform pale greyishbrown
; lateral lower tail-coverts white, each with a blackish-brown spot
near the end ; those in the middle barred with black and white.
Length to end of tail 19 inches, to end of claws 26, extent of wings
25; bill 2f ; tarsus 2 J, middle toe and claw 2} % ; wing from flexure 7,
tail 2£. Weight 1 lb. 9 oz.
Adult Female.
The female, which is smaller, is similar to the male, but has the tints
somewhat duller.
Length to end of tail 18 inches, to end of claws 22^, extent of wings
24. Weight 1 lb. 2 oz.
Young in autumn. Plate CCIII. Fig. 2.
The young in autumn and fully fledged resemble the female, but
are duller in their colours.
T H E C L A P P E R R A I L , O R S A L T - W A T E R M A R S H -
HEN.
BALL us CREPITANS, GMEL.
P L A T E CCIV. MALE AND FEMALE.
ALTHOUGH this species is a constant resident, and extremely abundant
along the salt marshes and reedy sea islands of South Carolina, Georgia,
Florida, Alabama, and Louisiana, to the mouths of the Mississippi, and
probably farther south, at all seasons of the year, it leaves these districts
in considerable numbers in spring, and extends its movements along the
Atlantic shores as far as the Middle States. They confine themselves entirely
to the salt-marshes in the immediate vicinity of the Atlantic, the
islands and the channels between them and the main shores, but are never
seen inland or on fresh waters, unless when, during high tides, they remove
to the margins of the main, where, indeed, during heavy gales and high
seas, these poor birds are forced to take refuge, in order to escape the destructive
fury of the tempest that, notwithstanding their utmost exertions,
destroys great numbers of them. On all such occasions the birds appear
greatly intimidated and stupified, and as if out of their proper element.
Those individuals which leave the south for a season, reach the shores of
New Jersey about the middle of April, and return to the southern States
about the beginning of October, to spend the winter along with their
young, after which period none are to be found in the Middle Districts.
Few if any ever go beyond Long Island in the State of New York; at least
I have never seen or heard of one farther east. Their migrations take place
under night, and in perfect silence; but the moment they arrive at their
destination, they announce their presence by a continuation of loud cacklings,
meant no doubt as an expression of their joy. Having studied the
habits of these interesting birds in the Jerseys, in South Carolina, and in
the Floridas, on the maritime borders of all of which they breed, I shall
here attempt to describe them.
In these countries, from about the beginning of March to that of
April, the salt-marshes resound with the cries of the Clapper Rail, which
resemble the syllables cac, cac, cac, cac, cd, caha, calm. The commencement
of the cry, which is heard quite as frequently during day as by
c