94 NATURAL HISTORY IBirds. 



GENUS ZX///.— GALINULES, OR WATER-HENS. 



Gen, Char. — Bill thick at the base, sloping to the point, the upper mandible 

 reaching far up the forehead, and not corneous ; body compressed ; wings 

 short and concave ; toes long, divided to their origin ; tail short. 



Species 1. — The Land-Rail. 



Rail, or Daker-Hen, Wil. Orn. 170. Raii %«. Av. 58. Corncreck, Sib. Scot. 

 16. Corn-Craker, Mart. West. Isles, 71. Rallus Crex, Lin. Sys. 261. 

 Brit. ZqoI. 387. tab. 10. Brit. Zool. Illus. 74. Otc. Corn-Crake. 



This odd bird comes to us in the month of May or there- 

 abouts, and continues till breeding-time be over. It conceals 

 itself amongst long grass and corn ; never cries, except when 

 it is hid ; lays a great number of eggs : I have frequently seen 

 sixteen in a nest ; the young run about when they are hatched ; 

 they are very ugly, covered with black hair. 



The corn-crake is covered with long loosely-webbed fea- 

 thers ; the colour of the back a bay mixed with black ; the 

 wings in harvest become a very deep bay, inclining to red ; 

 the tail is short, and much of the same colour. 



The corn-crake has not a strong wing; never flies far while 

 here, and the little it does is very awkwardly performed, with 

 the legs hanging down ; and yet, what is remarkable, this is a 

 migratory bird, and must surely take long stages on these oc- 

 casions. I know not whether many of them may perhaps 



