THE RUl'F. .*)l!) 



■3rd of Jiiiuj. ISy this time the males cease to go to liill. The nest is usually 

 formed upon a tump, iu the moist swamp}- places, surrounded by coarse grass, of 

 which it is also formed. The eggs are foui' iu number, of an olive colour, blotched 

 and spotted with clove and liver-brown ; one inch seven lines in length, by one inch 

 oue line and a half iu breadth. The young, while covered with down, are j^rettily 

 spotted, soon leave their nest, and are difficult to find without a good dog. The 

 autumnal catching is xisually about Michaelmas, at which time few old males are taken, 

 from which an opinion has been formed, that they migrate before the females and young. 

 It is, however, more probable that the i'ew which are left after the spring fowling, lilce 

 other polygamous birds, keep in parties separate] from the female and her brood till the 

 return of spring." Montague took the trouble of transporting several of these birds, 

 both males and females, with him from Lincolnshire into Devonshire; some of them lived 

 three years in captivity, and one of them four years. He saj's, that " iu confinement the 

 males paid no attentioH to the reeves, except to drive them from their food ; they never 

 attempted to dispute with any other species, but would feed out of the same dish with 

 land-rails, and other birds confined with them, in perfect amity." 



i<=-^,. 



niUD OF TRTXOA nvrERBOEEA. FOOT OF TEINGA HYPERBOREA. 



Another family of the order Grallatores is formed of the Rnlliche, a group consisting of 

 th3 rails, coots, jacanas, &c. 



