338 BULLETIN 135, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



The downy young are jet black. The adult is about the size of 

 the bobwhite. 



Food. — The food of the corn crake is chiefly animal, consisting of 

 worms, slugs, snails, small lizards, and insects, but occasionally of 

 grain and other seeds. 



Behavior. — Dresser (1871) says: 



Owing to its secretive habits, and being at the same time a rather noisy bird 

 than otherwise, the land rail is much better known by its harsh, grating note 

 than by anything else. It is essentially a frequenter of cultivated districts and 

 of the lowlands, though seldom of really wet, swampy ground; for it prefers 

 meadows and cornfields, where the ground is open and there are but few bushes 

 or trees. It does not, however, effect very dry soil, but fields where it is neither 

 very wet nor yet very dry, and especiallj', it would seem, where a few flowers 

 are intermixed witli other herbage; and it evinces a partiality for clover fields. 

 In most parts of Kurope it is a migrant, or, rather, a summer resident, arriving 

 in the spring and leaving again for the South in the autumn, migrating, it would 

 seem, altogeher at night, and when on passage flying at a considerable altitude. 

 * * * As soon as it arrives in the spring it gives notice of its presence by its 

 well-known call. It appears to move about at night, and more especially in the 

 early morning and late evening; and though it is not infrequently seen about 

 during the day, yet it prefers, as a rule, to remain quiet then. Its form enables 

 it to run about with ease amongst the grass and corn, and it always evinces a 

 dislike to taking wing, prefering, if possible, to seek security by running; and a 

 dog will sometimes spring on and catch one on the ground, so close will the^ at 

 times crouch before the dogs. Its cry, resembling the syllables " crek, crek, 

 crek," may be heard at all times of the day, but more especially early in the 

 morning and late in the evening; and it appears to possess considerable power 

 as a ventriloquist, as it is most difficult to judge where the bird is by its note, 

 which is now loud, now low, as if close or at a considerable distance. When 

 uttering its cry the bird usually stands still, the neck rather drawn in; but some- 

 times it calls as it moves leisurely along * * * its movements when not 

 alarmed are graceful and elegant. It moves sedately, lifting its feet rather high, 

 jerking its tail, and moving its head backwards and forwards. When alarmed 

 it stops, crouches, and then starts off with extended neck and body thrown 

 forward, and is soon out of danger. 



Yarrell (1S71) says the male is the caller and that 'this call-note 

 may be imitated by passing the edge of the thumb-nail, or a piece 

 of wood, briskly along the line of the points of the teeth of a small 

 comb, and, so similar is the sound, that the bird may be decoyed by 

 it within a very short distance." 



Game. — Yarrell (1871) says: ''Land rails are considered most deli- 

 cate as articles of food, and in such high estimation, that two land 

 rails are said to be a present for a queen.'' They are occasionally 

 picked off by snipe shooters. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — Europe and Asia, from the Faeroe Islands, Scandinavia, 

 Russia, and western Siberia to the Pyrenees, northern Italy, Macedo- 

 nia, Arabia, northern India, and Africa; accidental in Greenland, 

 North America, and Australia. 



