part of the head, back, smaller wing-coverts, quills and tail,
brownish-black; sides of the head, upper half of neck all round,
the broad extremities of the large feathers on the shoulders, the
scapulars, inner secondaries, and larger wing-coverts, greenish-black.
A broad patch of white behind the eye, very conspicuous in the erected
crest. Lower part of neck and breast also white, as are the speculum
and the central part of the inner secondaries. Sides beautifully marked
with undulated transverse lines of yellowish-brown and brownish-black;
lower tail-coverts whitish, similarly undulated.
Length to end of tail 19 inches, to end of wings 16-3/4, to end of
claws 18; extent of wings 26; wing from flexure 7-1/2; tail 4; bill
along the ridge 1-11/12, along the edge of lower mandible 1-3/4; tarsus
1-1/4, middle toe 1-(9-1/2)/12, its claw 1/4. Weight 1 lb. 7 oz.
Adult Female. Plate CCXXXII. Fig. 2.
The female is much smaller than the male. The crest is smaller and of
a looser texture; the feathers of the shoulders not so large; those
of the sides shorter and more compact. The bill is brownish-black
towards the end and along the ridge, orange towards the base. The
upper part of the head, including the crest, yellowish-brown; chin
whitish, upper part of neck and sides of the head greyish-brown. The
general colour of the back, upper surface of wings, tail, and sides,
is blackish-brown, the feathers edged with paler, the edgings of the
fore part of the back and shoulders larger and pale greyish-brown;
speculum greyish-white; breast and abdomen pale yellowish-brown.
Length to end of tail 17-1/2 inches, to end of claws 16-1/2; extent of
wings 24. Weight 1 lb.
The Young resemble the female. The young males after their first moult
still resemble the female, but have the speculum and lower parts pure
white.
THE SORA RAIL.
_RALLUS CAROLINUS_, LINN.
PLATE CCXXXIII. MALE, FEMALE, AND YOUNG.
Not many years have elapsed since it was supposed by some of the
inhabitants of those districts to which thousands of this species of
Rail resort at particular periods, that the Soras buried themselves
in the mud at the approach of cold weather, for the purpose of there
spending the winter in a state of torpidity. Many wonderful tales
were circulated to convince the world of the truth of this alleged
phenomenon; but the fact was, as you will naturally anticipate,
that the birds merely shifted their quarters, as no doubt they will
continue to do, so long as the climate becomes too cold for them
in winter. Prior to the days of WILSON, very little indeed had been
published respecting the habits of our birds. Superstitious notions
and absurd fancies occupied the place of accurate knowledge in the
minds of people too earnestly engaged in more important pursuits, to
attend to the history of the animals around them; and with respect
to the Sora in particular, I have no doubt that the settlers in our
original forests cared very little about them, farther than that,
when well cooked, they afforded a very savoury dish. Now, however,
the case is very different. Many of the enterprising and industrious
sons of Columbia have attained affluence and ease, and their children
receive a liberal education. The sciences and arts, those attendants
on peaceful commerce, are now sources of pleasure to many of our
citizens, and at the present day there are not a few individuals among
us, devotedly engaged in the pursuit of zoology in all its branches.
So rapid has been the progress of ornithology in particular, that I
should hesitate before asserting that any American, however uncultured,
now believes that Rails burrow in the mud.
Those who have studied the habits of our birds, or of those of any
part of the world, no longer admit that Swallows are condemned to
search for warmth under the ice; for we have proofs that these birds
can with ease obtain all that is necessary for their comfortable
subsistence, by removing on wing to a warmer region. The Soras and many
other species of birds are similar in this respect to the Swallows.
The Vulture that was supposed to scent his food from afar, has well
nigh lost his olfactory powers. Geese are no longer the offspring of
sea-shells; nor do Swans now chaunt their own requiem. The Pelican,
too, has ceased to tear its own breast to gorge its voracious young.
Students of nature have gradually rectified the various errors into
which our ancestors had fallen; and we should now just as readily
expect to see a shoal of fishes issuing from beneath the plough, as
to see a flock of Rails emerge from the mud, shake themselves, and
fly off. This subject, then, being disposed of, I have now to relate
to you the result of my observations on the habits of the Sora.
This bird, which I think might have been named the Pennsylvanian or
Virginian Rail, enters the Union from the shores of Mexico, early in
March, when many are to be seen in the markets of New Orleans. Some
reach their northern destination by ascending along the margins of our
western streams, or by crossing the country directly, in the manner
of the Woodcock; while those which proceed along the coast shorten
their journey as much as possible by flying across the headlands of
the numerous inlets or bays of our southern districts, retiring or
advancing more slowly according to the state of the weather. Thus,
those which cross the peninsula of Florida, through the marshes and
lagoons that lead to the head waters of the St John’s River, instead
of travelling round the shores of Georgia and South Carolina, fly
directly across towards Cape Lookout. It it nevertheless true, that
a certain number of these birds follow the sinuosities of the shores,
for I found some in the markets of Charleston, in the month of April,
that had been killed in the immediate neighbourhood of that city, and
I obtained others in various parts; but the number of these is very
small compared with that of those which cross at once. When their
passage takes place, either during calm weather or with a favourable
wind, the fortunate travellers pursue their journey by entering
Pimlico Sound, and following the inner margins of the outward banks
of this part of the coast until they reach Cape Henry. From thence
some ascend the Chesapeake, while others make for the mouth of the
Delaware, and these perhaps again meet on the borders of Lake Ontario,
or the waters of the St Lawrence, after which they soon enter those
portions of the country in which they breed, and spend a short but
agreeable season.
Every person acquainted with the general movements of birds either
during spring, when they pass northwards, or the autumnal months, when
they are on their way to milder climes, is aware that, at the former
period, their anxiety to reach the place of breeding is much greater
than that which they feel at any other period. Thus, in its movement
southward, the Sora, like all other Rails, when returning with its
progeny, which are yet feeble and unable to undergo much fatigue,
proceeds considerably slower than in spring. Hence its appearance in
autumn, in multitudes, in various places, where it is enticed by an
abundance of food and comparative security, to tarry for some time,
and recruit its strength. Thus, in September and part of October,
the Sora is found in great numbers on the borders of our great lakes,
feeding on wild oats, and on the reedy margins of the rivers of our
Middle Districts. Several natural causes prevent birds of this species
from following the sea-coast of the United States, while migrating
either in spring or in autumn, the principal of which is the absence
there of their favourite Zizania marshes, which are but very rarely
met with to the east of the State of New York. This is probably the
cause of the great rarity of this species in Massachusetts, whilst,
so far as I know, none are ever found to the eastward of that State.
These observations are corroborated by those of my friend THOMAS
MACCULLOCH of Pictou, who never met with one of these birds during
many years’ residence in that part of Nova Scotia.
Having seen flocks of Soras winging their way close over the waters of
the Gulf of Mexico, and between Cape Florida and the main shores of
the Carolinas, in the month of April, when they were moving directly
towards Cape Lookout, I have very little doubt that many return in
the same track, in the end of October, when the young, well fed and
strengthened, are able to follow their parents on wing, even across
that large extent of water. I shall now dismiss this part of the
subject, by adding, in confirmation of their capability of protracted
flight, that some of these birds, when accidentally separated from
their flock, have supported themselves on wing until they have met
with vessels several hundred miles from land; and facts of this kind
have been announced by persons of well known respectability.
During the autumnal months, a goodly number of Soras are found in
the rice-fields and fresh-water marshes of the Carolinas. Sometimes
also they have been shot in salt-water marshes, in spring, while
on their northward migration. At this period they are very silent,
until forced to fly. In those States none are seen during summer.
Very few, it appears, remain in any part of the Middle Districts. My
friend JOHN BACHMAN, however, was shewn some eggs of this bird, that
had been found in the meadows below Philadelphia; and whilst I was in
the company of my friend EDWARD HARRIS, Esq. on a woodcock shooting
expedition, my son shot some young birds scarcely fledged, and shortly
afterwards an adult female. JOHN BACHMAN met with a nest on the shore
of the Hudson, and I saw two in the marshes of Lake Champlain.
Fond of concealment, as all its tribe are, the Sora is rarely seen
during day, although, being seminocturnal, it skulks amid the tall
reeds or grasses, both by day and at night, in search of its food.
Differing, however, in habit, as well as in form, from the Gallinules,
it rarely abandons the retreats which it has chosen after the breeding
season, and rises, when forced by tides, to the tops of the plants
about it, climbing along or clinging to their stalks or leaves, with
as much ease as it walks on the floating garbage, when persons in
boats can see them without any difficulty. Whenever these occurrences
take place, and the country around is thickly peopled, great havock
is made among them. This particularly happens on the James and
Delaware rivers, where thousands are annually destroyed during their
autumnal stay. The sport of shooting Soras is much akin to that of
shooting Clapper Rails, or Salt-Water-Marsh-Hens, which I have already
described. But Wilson having given an account of it, as pursued when
Soras were much more abundant than I ever saw them, I shall transcribe
his description of the manner adopted by the sportsmen on the Delaware.
“The usual method of shooting them, in this quarter of the country,
is as follows:—The sportsman furnishes himself with a light batteau,
and a stout experienced boatman, with a pole of twelve or fifteen
feet long, thickened at the lower end to prevent it from sinking
too deep into the mud. About two hours or so before high water, they
enter the reeds, and each takes his post, the sportsman standing in
the bow ready for action, the boatman, on the stern seat, pushing her
steadily through the reeds. The Rail generally spring singly, as the
boat advances, and at a short distance ahead, are instantly shot down,
while the boatman, keeping his eye on the spot where the bird fell,
directs the boat forward, and picks it up as the gunner is loading.
It is also the boatman’s business to keep a sharp look-out, and give
the word ‘mark!’ when a Rail springs on either side without being
observed by the sportsman, and to note the exact spot where it falls
until he has picked it up; for this once lost sight of, owing to the
sameness in the appearance of the reeds, is seldom found again. In
this manner the boat moves steadily through and over the reeds, the
birds flushing and falling, the gunner loading and firing, while the
boatman is pushing and picking up. The sport continues till an hour
or two after high water, when the shallowness of the water, and the
strength and weight of the floating reeds, as also the backwardness
of the game to spring as the tide decreases, oblige them to return.
Several boats are sometimes within a short distance of each other,
and a perpetual cracking of musketry prevails along the whole reedy
shores of the river. In these excursions it is not uncommon for an
active and expert marksman to kill ten or twelve dozen in a tide.
They are usually shot singly, though I have known five killed at one
discharge of a double-barrelled piece. These instances, however, are
rare.”
“Such is the mode of Rail shooting in the neighbourhood of
Philadelphia. In Virginia, particularly along the shores of James
River, within the tide water, where the Rail or Sora are in prodigious
numbers, they are also shot on the wing, but more usually taken at
night in the following manner:—A kind of iron grate is fixed on the
top of a stout pole, which is placed like a mast, in a light canoe,
and filled with fire. The darker the night the more successful is
the sport. The person who manages the canoe is provided with a light
paddle, ten or twelve feet in length, and, about an hour before high
water, proceeds through among the reeds, which lie broken and floating
on the surface. The whole space, for a considerable way round the
canoe, is completely enlightened, the birds stare with astonishment,
and, as they appear, are knocked on the head with the paddle, and
thrown into the canoe. In this manner, from twenty to eighty dozen
have been killed by three Negroes in the short space of three hours!”
The flight of this little bird while migrating is low, and performed
with a constant beating of the wings, as in the Coot and other birds
of its kind. They pass swiftly along in compact flocks of from five
to a hundred or more individuals. At times you see them rise in a
long curve, as if they had perceived some dangerous object beneath
them; then resume their ordinary direct flight, and are soon out of
sight. On the contrary, when they are with us in autumn, they seem
far from being alert on wing, flying slowly with dangling legs, and
proceeding only to a short distance, when they drop among the reeds
with their wings extended, as if they had been shot. If raised two or
three times, it is extremely difficult to see them again; for on such
occasions they will rather dive and hide under some floating weeds,
keeping their bill only above the water. When walking leisurely, they
throw up the tail, in the manner of Gallinules, and if they apprehend
danger in consequence of any suspicious sight or sound, they run off
with great speed. Their notes are shrill and short, but reiterated,
like those of _Rallus crepitans_, although by no means so loud and
disagreeable. When wounded they dive well at the approach of the
sportsman, and sometimes cling to the roots of the grasses for a few
moments, but more usually rise under the cover of the floating leaves.
Some persons still believe that these birds cannot be drowned; and
this notion tempted my friend JOHN BACHMAN to make the experiment.
In a note of his now before me, he says:—“I once, in company with
some naturalists of Philadelphia, tried two experiments upon two
Soras that had been slightly wounded in the wing, to ascertain how
long they could live under the water. They were placed in a covered
basket, which was sunk in the river. One remained fifteen, the other
eight minutes, under water; and on being taken out, they were both
found dead. We placed them in the sun for several days, but, I need
hardly say, they did not revive.”
The most curious habit or instinct of this species is the nicety of
sense by which they can ascertain the last moment they can remain at
any of the feeding grounds at which they tarry in autumn. One day,
you may see or hear the Soras in their favourite marshes, you may be
aware of their presence in the dusk of evening; but when you return
to the place early next morning, they are all gone. Yesterday the
weather was mild, to-day it is cold and raw; and no doubt the Soras
were aware that a change was at hand, and secured themselves from
its influence by a prompt movement under night. It is probable that
these sudden removals gave rise to the idea of their diving into the
mud.
RALLUS CAROLINUS, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 263.—_Ch.
Bonaparte_, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 334.
GALLINULA CAROLINA, _Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 771.
RAIL, RALLUS CAROLINUS, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith. vol. vi. p.
24. pl. 48. fig. 2. Male.
CAROLINA RAIL, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 208.
Adult Male. Plate CCXXXIII. Fig. 1.
Bill shorter than the head, rather stout, deep, compressed, tapering.
Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight, being slightly
convex towards the end, the ridge flattish for a very short space at
the base, very slightly extended on the forehead, narrow in the rest
of its extent; the sides convex towards the end, the edges sharp,
inflected, with a slight sinus close to the tip. Nasal groove broad and
extending to two-thirds of the length of the bill; nostrils linear,
lateral, submedial, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle long and
narrow, the sides erect, the dorsal line sloping upwards, the edges
inflected, the tip narrowed, the gape-line straight.
Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck of moderate length. Body
rather slender, much compressed. Feet of moderate length, rather
stout; tibia bare a short way above the joint; tarsus of ordinary
length, compressed, anteriorly covered with broad scutella, posteriorly
with smaller, and on the sides reticulated. Hind toe very short
and slender, middle toe longest and longer than the tarsus, fourth
considerably shorter than third, and a little longer than second;
toes free, scutellate above, much compressed, with an inferior sharp
margin. Claws rather long, exceedingly compressed, slightly arched,
tapering to a fine point, flat and marginate beneath.
Plumage rather stiff, but blended, slightly glossed above. Feathers
of the forehead with the shaft enlarged and slightly extended beyond
the tip. Wings short and broad; alula large; primaries curved, broad
tapering, but rounded, second longest, third scarcely shorter, first
equal to sixth; secondaries broad and rounded. Tail extremely short,
much rounded, of twelve feeble rounded feathers; the upper and lower
tail-coverts nearly as long as the tail-feathers.
Bill yellow at the base, dusky towards the end. Iris bright chestnut.
Feet yellowish-green; claws light brown. A broad band surrounding
the base of the bill, the central part of the crown, the chin,
and the fore neck in its whole length, brownish-black. Ear-coverts
olive-brown; a band over the eye, the cheeks, and the sides of the
neck, ash-grey. Sides of the crown, the hind neck, and the rest of
the upper parts, olive-brown, the feathers brownish-black in the
centre, those on the back with two marginal lines of white. Smaller
wing-coverts of a lighter brown; secondary coverts margined with black
and white markings; quills dusky olive-brown, as is the tail. Middle
of breast and abdomen greyish-white; sides barred with brownish-black
and greyish-white, as are the lateral feathers of the rump, those of
the abdomen reddish-yellow.
Length to end of tail 9-5/12 inches; to end of wings 8-3/4, to end of
claws 12; extent of wings 14; wing from flexure 4-8/12; tail 2; bill
along the ridge 10/12, along the edge of the lower mandible 10/12;
tarsus 1-5/12; middle toe 1-7/12, its claw (4-1/2)/12. Weight 7 oz.
Adult Female. Plate CCXXXIII. Fig. 2.
The Female differs considerably from the Male in colouring. The naked
parts and iris are similar, as are the upper parts generally; but
the black around the base of the bill, on the head, and fore neck
is wanting, the fore part of the head being light brown, the chin
whitish, the sides of the neck light greyish-brown. The white lines
of the back are duller, and the dark bands of the sides of a lighter
tint.
Young Male. Plate CCXXXIII. Fig. 3.
The Young Male, after its first moult, is intermediate in colouring
between the adult male and the female, but more like the latter, the
black on the head and fore neck appearing in spots, and the sides of
the neck being nearly as in the female.
THE RING-NECKED DUCK.
_FULIGULA RUFITORQUES_, BONAP.
PLATE CCXXXIV. MALE AND FEMALE.
The Ring-necked Duck is abundant on all our western waters during
autumn and winter. It is also met with along our Atlantic coasts;
but there, although I have seen many individuals on the Chesapeake
and other large arms of the sea, it is by no means so plentiful as
in the interior. Its flesh is excellent, equalling in my opinion that
of any other duck; and when it has been feeding along the margins of
rivers, creeks, or ponds for a few weeks, it becomes very fat, tender,
and juicy, and has none of the fishy flavour of those species which
are in the habit of diving deep for their food. In shape, the Tufted
Duck, or Ring-bill, as it is called in Kentucky, resembles the Scaup
or Flocking Fowl, but is plumper and more rounded.
This bird arrives in Kentucky and the neighbouring States, as far
down the Mississippi as New Orleans, from the 20th of September to
the middle of October, at which latter period it may be found in the
whole extent of the Union, from Massachusetts to Louisiana, being
more numerous in some districts than in others, according to the
suitableness of the place. They commonly move while on wing in flocks
of from fifteen to twenty individuals, keeping rather scattered,
and thus rarely affording what is called a good shot. They fly with
rapidity, keeping at a considerable height, and the motion of their
wings produces a constant whistling as they pass over head. Before
alighting, they wheel and perform various evolutions, although they
do not occupy so much time with them as Teals are wont to do.
They swim rather lightly and with ease, and, unlike the Scaups,
experience no difficulty in rising on wing, whether from the land
or from the water, but generally spring up at once, especially if
alarmed. They have an almost constant practice of raising the head
in a curved manner, partially erecting the occipital feathers, and
emitting a note resembling the sound produced by a person blowing
through a tube. At the approach of spring the males are observed
repeating this action every now and then, while near the females,
none of which seem to pay the least attention to their civilities.
Whilst in ponds, they feed by diving and dabbling with their bills in
the mud amongst the roots of grasses, of which they eat the seeds also,
as well as snails and all kinds of aquatic insects. When on rivers,
their usual food consists of small fish and crays, the latter of which
they procure at the bottom. A male which I shot near Louisville, in
the beginning of May, exhibited a protuberance of the neck so very
remarkable as to induce me to cut the skin, when I found a frog,
the body of which was nearly two inches long, and which had almost
choked the bird, as it allowed me to go up within a dozen or fifteen
paces before I took aim. This species remains with us in the Western
country later than most others of its tribe, and not unfrequently as
late as the Blue-winged Teal.
We are indebted for the discovery of this species to my friend the
Prince of Musignano, who first pointed out the difference between it
and the Tufted Duck of Europe. The distinctions that exist in the
two species he ascertained about the time of my first acquaintance
with him at Philadelphia in 1824, when he was much pleased on seeing
my drawing of a male and a female, which I had made at Louisville in
Kentucky previous to WILSON’s visit to me there. WILSON supposed it
identical with the European species.
The summer haunts and habits of this Duck have not been ascertained;
for although Dr RICHARDSON mentions that he found it not rare in the
fur countries, he says nothing of its eggs or nest. While with us it
has no long crest, but I am inclined to think that at the commencement
of the breeding season that appendage may be developed.
FULIGULA RUFITORQUES, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of the
United States, p. 393.
TUFTED DUCK, ANAS FULIGULA, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith. vol.
viii. p. 60. pl. 67, fig. 5.
RING-NECKED DUCK, FULIGULA RUFITORQUES, _Swains. and
Richards._ Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 453.—_Nuttall_,
Manual, vol. ii. p. 439.
Adult Male. Plate CCXXXIV. Fig. 1.