EGGS OF BRITISH BIRDS. 83 



much gloss, and frequently tapered at both ends. When fresh 

 laid they are dull white, but soon become stained a dirty buff ; 

 they always look green through the hole when held up to the 

 light. They vary in length from 1'55 to 1:3 inch, and in breadth 

 from 1*1 to 0.9 inch. 



FAMILY BALLIDsE, 

 OB RAILS. 



The Water-rail, Water-hen, and Coot are residents in Great 

 Britain. The Crakes are either regular visitors in spring or of 

 accidental occurrence. 



THE CORN-CRAKE. 



(Grex j) rat en sis.) 



Plate 22, Fig. 9. 



The Corn-crake, or Land-rail, breeds in all suitable localities 

 throughout Great Britain. It is found in summer all over 

 Europe, and as far east as the valley of the Yenisei, and breeds 

 as far north as the Arctic circle, wintering in Africa. 



The nest is a much better structure than is usually supposed. 

 The materials used are coarse dry grasses and other herbage, and 

 very often a few withered leaves, whilst the inside is lined with 

 fine grass, very similar to that used by the Missel-Thrush. It is 

 very carefully made, the materials being well interwoven, and is 

 quite as elaborate a structure as the nest of a Pipit or a Skylark. 

 It is generally built in a little hollow in the ground, either a 

 natural one or one made by the birds. 



The eggs are from eight to twelve in number, nine being an 

 average clutch. They vary from pale buff to creamy -white or 

 bluish-white in ground-colour, spotted and blotched with surface 

 spots of reddish-brown, and underlying ones of pale lilac. The 

 markings are seldom so numerous as to cover much of the 

 ground-colour, and are generally distributed over most of the sur- 

 face. Sometimes one egg in a clutch is much paler than the rest, 

 and the markings much smaller. They vary in length from 15 

 to 1"36 inch, and in breadth from 11 to 1'02 inch. 



