1886-87.] Notes on Bird-Life. 17 



from one end of the field to the other quicker than he can, so that 

 when you get to the place where you thought you heard him, and 

 where indeed he really was, you hear him uttering his peculiar 

 cry at the other end of the field. Knowing this, when, as boys, 

 there were a number of us together, and we heard the corn-crake 

 in a field, we spread ourselves out in a line, a short distance 

 being between each, and when we found we had our friend in the 

 centre of the line, the signal was given, when away we went as 

 last as we could run across the field, and invariably succeeded 

 in sighting him. But you may say, " Why did you not give this 

 information before ? " The reason is, that the corn-crake is 

 indelibly associated with a certain episode in my life, where I 

 certainly did not figure to advantage. It arose thus. Many 

 years ago, it used to be the case that every Saturday afternoon 

 saw a party of boys, as soon as school was over, make for the 

 country, intent on scientific discoveries. But I am sorry to say 

 that these researches were carried out ritterly regardless of the 

 sacred rights of property ; and anything in the way of game 

 which unfortunately fell into the hands of the expedition was 

 ruthlessly confiscated. On one of these excursions, a corn-crake 

 was heard to give tongue in a neighbouring field : the usual 

 tactics were gone through ; the bird was flushed, only to fall a 

 victim to the unerring aim of the leader of the gang. The ex- 

 pedition speedily came to the conclusion that the bird was not 

 good to eat, so a council of war was held as to how the body 

 was to be disposed of. Finally, it was resolved on to try and 

 dispose of it to the game-dealer in the village ; and as a corn- 

 crake was not a marketable commodity, it was thought, with 

 the elastic conscience of youth, that we were in these circum- 

 stances entitled to represent it in the light of a partridge. The 

 game-dealer, who was known in the place as " the laird," on 

 account of his being a large holder of house property, in addition 

 to dealing in game, dealt in confectionery, tallow, hides, and 

 other miscellaneous articles, to which he added the duties of 

 money-lender and bill-discounter. He was always in a chronic 

 state of drunkenness, but notwithstanding this he seldom made 

 bad debts, and usually had the best of a bargain. It was there- 

 fore a matter of moment who was to dispose of the game, but 

 ultimately one of the party was fixed upon as being of good 

 character, and a favourite with the laird. It was found, on in- 



VOL. II. B 



