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The poet Wordsworth also refers to this bird : — 



The busy Dor-hawk chases the white moth 

 With burring note. 



The burring Dor-hawk round and round is wheeling. 

 That solitary bird 

 Is all that can be heard. 

 In silence deeper far than deepest noon. 



The following lines will form a fitting introduction to our next 

 visitor — 



The Landrail, or Corncrake, Crex pratensis. 



But hark ! as by the cornfield's side, 

 Where the fresh blades aspiring hide 

 With wavy folds its furrow'd breast, 

 The ear what startling sounds arrest ! 

 Perhaps you deem from fenny bog 

 You hear the croaking of the frog. 

 Monotonous, afar or nigh. 

 The same untun'd repeated cry. 

 Again the sound ! now here, now there. 

 It tempts to follow ; but howe'er 

 Your steps the fleeting cry pursue. 

 You'll scarce the cause retiring view ; 

 You'll scarce with foot or eye o'ertake 

 The dark form of the mottled crake. 

 As his long legs low-bending pass 

 Through the high corn or waving grass, 

 With body prone ; nor dares his wing 

 Up from the verdant covert spring. 



The Corncrake generally arrives in this neighbourhood about the 

 23rd of April, although days sometimes elapse before you hear its 

 welcome cry. It is a bird oftener heard than seen. On referring 

 to my note books, I find in some years it is fairly plentiful, and in 

 others only scarce; how to account for this I cannot tell, except it 

 may be tlie state of the weather, or the direction of the wind, 

 which may be conducive to a more extended migration, and may 



