1,12 liAl LS. UALIJNL‘LES, AND L'OOTS. t‘e\v \vinter. Sin;r Sing. tolerably eommon S. ll. to Sept. 25!. Cambridge, eommon S. 1L. ;\pl. '10 to (let. 1?».

dist. of grasses. on the ground in marshes, [ff/fix, six to twelve, pale bully white. spotted and speekled with rutluus»bro\\'n. 11‘". x 'i'l}.

In almost any extensive fresh or braekish marsh, espeeially if it has beds of eat-tail flags or scattered thiekets of low bushes aml briers. one may hear in May and June. partieularly in the early morning. late afternoon. or during cloudy weather. a succession of grunting sounds not unlike those of a hungry pig. Although by no means loud, they have a penetrating quality \vhieh makes them carry to a considerable distance; and they are apt to attract attention even when. as is usually the also. they mingle with the songs of innumerable Red-winged lilackbirds, Marsh Wrens, and other swamp-loving birds. It is no >asy matter to trace them to thei‘ author. but if you are l'iersevering and at the same time fortunate, you ma_' at. length discover him skulk- in},r under a lmsh or behind a tuft of grass. lle is the Virginia Rail. an odd-looking bird about the size of a Snipe. If you remain motion- less. he, may presently come out. into fairer view and walk slowly around the edge of some pool. lifting and putting down his: large feet with curious deliberation, cocking up his absurdly short tail at each step, and every now and then stopping to thrust his bill deep into the ooze, in search of food. As he pauses to look at you. you are struck by his half-quizzieal. half—sinister expression. due, no doubt. to the fact that his eyes are blood-red and deeply sunk in their long. narrow head. Startle him by some sudden movement. and he will do one of three things—dart baek into eover as swiftly as a frightened mouse. skip across the pool over the floating leaves (f the water plants. using bo:h wings and feet. or rise with feebly fluttering wings and hanging legs to fly only a few rods before dropping beyond some intervening screen of grass or bushes. In any ease you are not likely to find hint again on this 00 :asion.

Besides the grunting sound. the Virginia Rail utters during the breeding season. espeeially at night and in lowering weather, a gut- tural ml. (villa—eI‘ll/rt-r'l‘zllu, often repeated at brief intervals for hours in sueet sion. 'l‘his ery appears to be peculiar to the male. and is. no doubt. his love song. When heard at a distance of only a few yards it, has a vibrating. almost unearthly quality. and seems to issue frolu the ground direetly beneath one’s feet. The female. \vlten anxious alultt

her eggs or young. ealls ki-lril/rz' in low tones. and It?” mueh like a

Flieker. The young of both sexes: in autumn give. \vhen startled. a

short, explosive let/1) or let/r, closely similar to that: of the (i‘aroliua litil. \VXLLIAM liamvs'ruk.