LAND-RAIL.
the neighbourhood oi' the coast. In September 1800 I rode into the midst of a party of at least thirty or
forty that wore crossing a lane with steep banks near Orowhnrtt in Sussex: the birds had probably
been alarmed by a wild and unbroken spaniel rushing through a pieoo of clover adjoining the roadside ;
some fluttered as if wounded, somo ran in the usual skulking fashion, while others flew boldly towards seme
cover across the track. While shooting near Bottle early in September many years ago, I assisted in bagging
eight and a half couple in about two acres of clover; had breechloaders been employed at least double the
number must have fallen.
Though this species is occasionally almost overloaded with fat at the commencement of the shootingseason,
there are few better birds for the table when dressed with care.
It is asserted by some writers that young land-Bails are at first covered with a black down; I should
rather be inclined to term the coluur a dull dark sooty brown.
SPOTTED CRAKE
PORZJNA MARlETTA.
ThOTJQH the Spotted Crake is said to be distributed over the whole of the eastern counties of Scotland, I have
only on one occasion identitied this species to the north of the Tweed, a very strongly marked specimen
having risen at my feet in Hay from the water-plants growing round the swampy portion of the ground
on (Juliano Links, in East Lothian. This stealthy bird is doubtless plentiful in most suitable localities in
Englaud, though escaping notice in many instances, owing to the inaccessible nature of its haunts and the
difficulty of forcing it ou wing. On certain boggy spots on Wh-keu Fen, near Ely, I discovered two or three
nests some live and twenty years ago, and more recently, in the east of Norfolk, the species has bceu met
with in considerable numbers ; in the marshes of Sussex it also makes a short stay in spring, and a few are
oeoaMomdly killed during the return journey in autumn.
To state accurately the date at which the Spotted Crake leaves our shores on the approach of winter is .
well nigh impossible: though the majority evidently take their departure before cold weather sets in, a few
stragglers are occasionally seen even as lateas the new year, wounds or weakness probably account iug for their
incapacity to undertake a lengthened passage. My notes for 1871, while shooting in the east of Norfolk,
contain several entries relating to this species: ou the i)th of October a couple shut on Ludhum llover are
alluded to; on the 11th six and a half couple were bagged by two gnus round llciglmin Sounds, and several more
might have been secured bad 1 takeu all the chances falling to my share*. During the remainder of the
month many were seen on the various Snipe-grouuds. On the 15th of November a single bird was killed
at Reed ham, near Ludhniu ; and on the 21st of December, while crawling over a marsh near Uickling to obtain
a shot at Geera, I drove one from the shelter of some rushes, broken down by the effects of frost and snow,
under which it had sought refuge on my approach—creeping stealthily out within the distance of a foot, there
could not be the slightest doubt as to its identity. So recently as the winters of 1879 and 'SO three more specimens,
fresh killed, came under my observation ; a couple were secured by sliorc-gunners in the marsh-dykes near
Shnreham harbour, and the third was picked up disabled near the banks of the Adur, haviug probably struck
against some obstacle while on flight.
In Sussex I failed to discover the nest of this Rail, though n pair were obtained in a portion of Pevcnsoy
Level known as Bamhorn Ponds early in April 1S0G. The tirst bird was sprung ou the open marsh and easily
killed; the second, rising shortly alter, merely topped the coarse herbage for a yard or so, ami immediately
dropped into a thick bed of rushes near the edge id' a dyke. All attempts to discover its whereabouts having
failed, I came to the conclusion that the bird bad succeeded in making its escape. As usual, when shooting in
this part of the country, 1 had engaged the services of one of the natives residing on the marsh, who was followed