278 ENGLISH BIRD LIFE 



inioratory instinct bids it prepare to retrace its 

 flight. 



As tlie Dipper is the bird of the stream and the 

 Red Grouse of the heather, so the Corncrake is the 

 typical bird of the grass. 



All its movements are secret. It appears to come 

 in the night, how, one can hardly tell, for a Corn- 

 crake on migration is a sight witnessed by few. All 

 that one knows is that the fields, after the long 

 silence of winter, suddenly become vocal. Through- 

 out the day and often far into the night the monoton- 

 ous " craik-craik, craik-craik " comes, so persistent 

 and unemotional that it would seem to proceed from 

 some piece of mechanism rather than from a bird. 

 If one traces the sound to its source, there is still 

 no sign of any living thing, no movement of rising 

 wings, nor even a rustle in the grass. For a while 

 all is silent; then the "craik-craik" comes again, 

 faintlv at first, a little way to the left or right. To 

 follow it is useless; one might as well pursue a 

 disembodied voice. 



Yet in certain favourable circumstances the Corn- 

 crake may be seen in his chosen haunt, and some- 

 thing of his ways may be noted. Where the grass 

 grows sparselv in the meadow close to the little 

 footpath, a dark form moving amidst the stems may 

 sometimes be made out. It appears to be feeding, 

 when suddenlv the head is uplifted and the dull 

 " craik-craik " is uttered; instantly it stoops, picks 

 up several seeds from the ground, between tliebarsas 

 it were, and craiks again with what seems to be the 

 briefest intermission. There is a strange contrast 

 between the quick, alert movements of the bird and 



