miles from the coast of I reland; and similar cases are
doubtless far from uncommon.
The Land Rail frequents the long grass - of meadows
near -rivers, beds of osiers, and fields of green Corn
and clover, where its presence is indicated by its Creaking
note ; and hence oné of-its-names, that of Corn Crake, or
Corn Creak, by which latter term it is also known in Ireland.
This call-note may be imitated- by passing thé edge*of-the
thumb-nail, or a piece of wood, briskly along the- line of
the points of the teethe of a small Comb; and "so similar
is the sound, that "the-bird may be decoyed by it within
a very short distance.- The -male bird -is said toPbe the
Caller, and he- continues the note1 until a mate be found
and incubation commenced.;' after'Which, he is "less''frequently
heard, although * not ■ uncommonly om »summer
evenings in June, 'July, and, according'4:to'-Thompson,
occasionally in August. A Land Rail, kept some.time in
confinement, uttered besides a low guttural -^bund when
alarmed or disturbed. This bird has beep credited'with*
yentriloquial powers, but-ft may "be "doiibtèd whether this Ms
hot in consequence of the marvellous rapidity* with which-it
sneaks, unperceived, from one spot to another. The Editor
has had ocular proof that yn'©tes which were' Supposed -to
indicate ventriloquism were in reality -thé^rfespéÈsile Utterances
of two individuals.*
The food of the Land Rail cfonsists^f worms, slugs,
snails, small lizards and insects, With'portions of vegetable
matter and a few-"seeds. The nest' is' formed, on -the-
ground, of dry plants ; and a field "of -thick grass',-cloYer, or
green corn, i s 1 generally the situation : chosen ; the %gs,
from seven to ten in number; tire-'usually produced in the
early part of June ; '-they' are. bf- a pale reddish-white,
spottbd and speckled. with ash-grey' and pale red-brown,
* An oloT^orfcJj-conntry nama forf/the Land Rail is th e ^D k k ^h en .” Mr.
Bordeaux suggests that it may have reference to the apparently uücèirfcain advance
of the "bird as expressed in the ventrilóquous call-notes; whilst I Mr:* Hurting
inclines to trace its origin t^'th^Scandinavian Ager Tiönê-^J.\ ,J,,ïèia-‘Èek,'J!
the initial D being a corruptf®]bbreviation of “ th e :” giving 1 -t^acre-hen” for
“ the acre-hen.” (Zool. 229.)
and measure about 1*5 by 1 in. Daniel says, that in 1808,
as some men were mowing grass upon a little island belonging
to the fishing* water "of Low Bells on Tweed, they cut
the head from a dorn Crake, .that was sitting upon eleven
eggs":, about twenty yards, from'this 'sp<?t, they had nearly
destroyed a Partridge in a‘similar way, which was-sitting
upon -eighteen'-eggs,;, but, observing' her, the mowers tbok
the" eggs-fronrthe, nest ’of the. Corn '"Crake and put'them
into that of the Partridge, "Two days after she bröught?onf
the’whole bróód," which;wife seen running about the island;
The Partridge catered: for them all, and-was observedbto
gather her numerous family tinder- her wings without any
distinction.
"During theTeaity -part of the Partridge-shooting Season
in this country,' many Land'Rails -are killed by sportsmen,
who, after 'the barléy ié -cut;’ find' them ^most"frequently in
seed clover» - This ‘bird-’"does', not take wing very readily, and
flies but" slowly; w-ith-ïts, legs*" hanging down; seldom' going
farther than the* nearest" hedge;Ëor other* fcovertpih: which- if
can hide its e lf; and is rarely flushed a second tim e .) When
closely pressed,'and: especially if wounded; it will even elude
a dögby fluttering or climbing into the tangled branches.*
Land Rails, are considered'most delicate as articles'' bf food.
Dr. Thomas''Muffet, who flourished ' in the reign of Queen
Elizabeth, writep,--of thenj^vr-^ R a ile s-of the land deserve
to be placed- liexf the Partridg, for -their fle'sh is as good- as
* their feeding'goèd';I and they - a r e n èt Without ■ cause preferred
to Noblemens Tables ; and Drayton speaks of*
;w-7'i.^he'' Rayle thbt' seldom cömes but upon rich mfenVépfiK*** _
Tbé u su a f weight of a Land, Rail i |v*about sly Ounces ; hut
examplbe weighing- eight, and eight and a half ounces .are bf)
record; and th e heaviest off eleven birds shot in >
hear Surlingham, in fT^orfoJk^ even attained to nearly nine
ounces ƒ "tliepothers ayeragiég^é|gKt.„t s
Mr,' J e s s e ,n |^ h is remarks on this,, b|rd^ §ays, I havé
met .with an incident in the Natural History bf the .porn
* Poly>-plbion,r Soi|g, lipje Bf 8f ^ ,r
+ Stevejisdn, 4 Birds of J^orfolk,’ ii p. ‘$90.