SPOTTED CRAKE. CORN-CRAKE. 207 



Genus— PORZANA. 



PORZANA MARUETTA— Spotted Crake. 



The Spotted, or Water Crake is a very local bird in Hereford- 

 shire. It is aquatic in its habits, and frequents the sides of streams 

 and lakes in the neighbourhood of bogs, or marshy places, and 

 lives on the worms, slugs, and aquatic insects it finds there. A 

 few pairs visit the county most summers, and there is every 

 probability that it breeds here. Four specimens have been brought 

 to the Museum at varying intervals from April to June, during the 

 last four years (1880— 1884), which all came from small streams or 

 marshy places in the valley of the Lugg. 



[PoRZANA BAiLLONi — Baillou's Crake.] 

 A rare visitant, but known to have once bred in Norfolk. 



[PoRZANA PARVA — Little Crake.] 

 Somewhat rare in England. Found in Norfolk. 



Genus— CREX. 



CREX PRATENSIS— Corn-Crake. 



\Land-Rail— YarrelL] 



Art thou a sound, and nothing but a sound ? 

 — Go round the field, and round the field, and round, 

 You find my voice for ever changing ground ; 

 And, while your ear pursues my creaking cry, 

 You look as if you heard me with your eye. 



Montgomery — Birds. 



Oft does thy call at midnight silence break, 

 Now here, now there, thy desultory call. 



Grahame — Birds of Scotland. 



The Corn-Crake, or Land-Rail, is another of the sportman's 

 favourites in the field or on the table. It is a summer visitor, and 

 varies considerably in numbers in different years. The rough harsh 



