The flesh is pale and flabby; the fat of a rich salmon-red. A specimen sent to Mr. Hill by Dr. Hay from the neighbourhood of the Black River, in St. Elizabeth’s, illustrated, in the manner of its capture, the habits of the genus. The Doctor observed, while standing on the steps of the house at Elim Estate, this Rail sauntering through the grass. He pursued it, and ran it among some oleanders that grew in clumps about, and succeeded in getting it. When brought into the house, the bird shot rapidly across the floor, and getting into a darkened corner of the room, remained quiet there, believing itself concealed. On being driven out from that hiding-place, it again scudded away over the floor to another dark corner, in which it remained quiet as before. These recesses seemed to represent the dense coverts in which it ordinarily conceals itself in apprehended danger; its reliance on which, doubtless, made it so easy a prey to its captor’s hand, when it had taken refuge among the stems of the oleanders. STRIATED CRAKE.[115] (_Carolina Rail._—+Wils.+) _Ortygometra Carolina._ _Rallus Carolinus_, +Linn.+—Aud. pl. 233. _Ortygometra Carolina_, +Leach+. [115] Length 9 inches, expanse 13³⁄₄, flexure 3⁹⁄₁₀, tail 1⁸⁄₁₀, rictus ⁹⁄₁₀, tarsus 1¹⁄₂, middle toe 1³⁄₄. The only specimen of this bird that I possess was shot among the reeds in Salt Spring morass, near Black River, the habitation of incredible numbers of these and similar birds. It was near the end of November. Though it slightly differs from Wilson’s description, in the buff hue of the vent being scarcely noticeable, I conclude that it is of his species; the rather, since Mr. Hill has procured a specimen from Passage Fort, in which the buff hue was conspicuous. His specimen was obtained in March. It is probably a winter visitant from the United States, where Wilson describes it as an abundant species. In the stomach of that which I dissected, I found only mud and coarse siliceous sand. Le petit Râle de Cayenne of Buffon, (Pl. enl. 817) is probably a female of this species. MINUTE CRAKE.[116] _Ortygometra minuta._ _Rallus minutus, var._ β, +Lath.+ _Ortygometra minuta_, +Leach+.