536 BRITISH BIRDS. 
the east coast of the United States, and, it is said, even to New Zealand. 
The Corn-Crake has no near allies. 
The migration of the Corn-Crake into Europe begins in February and 
March and lasts until the end of May. Irby says that at Gibraltar it is 
most numerous in February ; but he has seen it as late as the 2nd of May. 
It passes Heligoland every year in April and May, arrives in Holland 
about the middle of May, but does not reach South Sweden until the end 
of that month. It usually arrives in the south of England during the last 
week in April, but does not appear to reach the northern counties and 
Scotland until the beginning of May. 
The haunts of the Corn-Crake are very different from those usually 
selected by the other species of this group of birds. It loves the dry 
meadows and corn-fields, especially those through which rivers flow. In 
many parts of the Highlands the Corn-Crake makes its appearance before 
the grass or clover in the meadows is tall enough to afford it shelter, 
and it retires to the tangled hedges and sunk fences, the dry ditches, and 
even to large gardens and orchards. It is a very skulking, retiring bird, 
and would be almost entirely overlooked were it not for its well-known 
and monotonous note. The Corn-Crake is much commoner in certain 
districts in some years than in others, and Dixon has observed that they — 
are generally most abundant in a wet season. Shortly after its arrival in 
this country, and for some considerable time, it appears to be very restless, 
and wanders about from one meadow to another, as if undecided as to its 
choice of residence; it may be heard calling lustily in a certain field one 
day, and perhaps a week may elapse before it is again heard in the same 
field. If the peculiar song of this bird be confined to the males, the 
explanation probably is that they are seeking the females from field to field. 
These actions continue until a nesting-ground has been chosen, after which 
the bird keeps closely to the fields in the immediate neighbourhood of its 
nest. It is very difficult to study the habits of this skulking bird, which 
when it leaves the cover for afew moments is always on the alert, and at 
the least alarm hides itself and hurries quickly off through the grass. If 
in its wanderings it should chance to come near a place where the herbage 
is not thick enough to hide it from view, it generally runs quickly over it 
to the nearest cover, where it can pursue its way more leisurely. The 
Corn-Crake is very fond of the hedges, especially those where the bottom is 
choked up with bramble and luxuriant herbage; and it is quite surprising 
with what speed the bird will thread its way through them, always trying 
to elude danger by running, and only taking wing when absolutely com- 
pelled. When surprised in a hedge it often crouches close to the ground, 
remains motionless, and almost allows itself to be touched by the hand ere 
it starts off agai. It is very seldom that the Corn-Crake can be flushed, 
only when it is hard pressed by dogs or man ; it then rises in a very slow 
