142 RALLIDyE. 



Crake which I believe is perfectly accurate, having been 

 informed that the bird will put on the semblance of death 

 when exposed to danger from which it is unable to escape. 

 The incident was this : — A gentleman had a Corn Crake 

 brought to him by his dog, to all appearance quite dead. 

 As it lay on the ground, he turned it over with his foot, 

 and felt convinced that it was dead. Standing by, how- 

 ever, in silence, he suddenly saw it open an eye. He then 

 took it up ; its head fell ; its legs hung loose, and it ap- 

 peared again quite dead. He then put it in his pocket, 

 and before long he felt it all alive, and struggling to 

 escape. He then took it out ; it was as lifeless as before. 

 Having laid it again upon the ground and retired to some 

 distance, the bird in about five minutes warily raised its 

 head, looked round, and decamped at full speed." 



The beak is pale brown ; the irides hazel ; over the eye 

 and ear-coverts, and on the cheeks, ash-grey ; the head 

 and neck all round, the back, scapulars, and tertials, pale 

 yellowish-brown, each feather having an elongated central 

 streak of very dark brown ; tail-coverts and tail-feathers 

 the same ; wings and wing-coverts rich reddish-chestnut ; 

 quills brown, tinged with red ; breast, belly, flanks, and 

 under tail-coverts, pale buff, barred transversely on the sides 

 and flanks with darker reddish-brown ; legs, toes, and claws, 

 pale yellowish-brown. 



The whole length is rather less than eleven inches. From 

 the carpal joint to the end of the longest feather in the 

 wing, five inches four lines. Females are rather smaller 

 than males, and, as well as young birds of the year, have 

 the ash-grey on the sides of the head less distinct and pure, 

 and the chestnut colour of the wing mixed with darker 

 reddish-brown. 



Young Land Rails are at first covered with black down, 

 but soon acquire their first feathers, and, according to Mr. 

 Selby's observation, are able to fly in about six weeks. 



Albinos are sometimes met with : one shot near Exeter 

 on 3rd May, is recorded by Mr. D'Urban (Zool. 1881, 

 p. 261) as presented to the Museum of that city. 



