CORN CRAKE. 533 



smartly drawing an edged stick along the teeth of a comb, or 

 a thin piece of bone along another which has been notched by 

 a saw ; that by this artifice the bird will sometimes be induced 

 to come up. Pennant and Montagu state that on its first 

 arrival it is very lean, but before its departure becomes exces- 

 sively fat. I have never, however, seen any great difference 

 in this respect, birds obtained early in the season being in as 

 good condition as afterwards. In some parts of Scotland the 

 Corn Crake ranks with the Red Grouse and Sky Lark, as a 

 " blessed bird." 



Young Fledged. — The young when fully fledged differ 

 from the old birds chiefly in w T anting the bluish-grey markings 

 on the head and neck. The description of one shot at Auch- 

 terarder, Perthshire, in August 1831, is as follows : — The bill 

 is light brown ; the iris light brown ; the feet bluish- flesh- 

 colour. The upper parts are dull yellowish-brown, each 

 feather with an oblong central spot of brownish-black, the 

 spots more elongated on the hind parts. The lower surface 

 is lighter ; the chin and abdomen pale ; the lateral feathers 

 barred with pale brownish-red, as are the lower tail feathers. 

 The wing-coverts are bright brownish-red ; the quills and 

 primary coverts dusky, their outer webs reddish, the inner 

 secondaries like the back. The lower wing-coverts are of a 

 delicate red, paler than that of the upper ; the edge of the 

 wing and the outer web of the first alular feather and first 

 quill reddish-white ; the shafts of the quills brownish-black. 



Length to end of tail 10| inches ; extent of wings 17^ ; 

 bill -fV ; tarsus 1^ ; middle toe 1^. 



Remarks. — Instances of the occurrence of a solitary Corn 

 Crake in winter have been recorded, and one has been reported 

 to me from Elgin. In some parts of Scotland, the people, 

 observing this bird to be a bad flier, and not seeing either its 

 arrival or its departure, believe that it hibernates, alleging 

 that it creeps into holes in turf- walls, and remains there until 

 spring. Were it really to choose such retreats, the weasels 

 would leave very few for next season. Some, it is said, have 

 declared that they have seen them dug out alive ; but I never 



