LANDRAIL. 7 



of the bill. Wings armed with a spine, and having the second and third quill- 

 feather the longest. Legs strong, of mean length, with the lower part of the 

 tibiffi naked. Feet four-toed, three before, one behind. Toes long, slender, 

 and cleft to their base, without any lateral membrane ; hind toe resting almost 

 wholly on the ground. Claws arcuate, compressed, and sharp-pointed. — Selby. 



The Landrail is a summer visiter to this country, gene- 

 rally making its appearance in the southern counties during 

 the last ten days of April ; but in Yorkshire, and still farther 

 north, as mentioned by Mr. Selby and others, it is seldom 

 observed or heard till the second week in May. It frequents 

 the long grass of marshy water-meadows near rivers, beds of 

 osiers or reeds, and fields of green corn, where its presence 

 is indicated by its creaking note ; and hence one of its names, 

 that of Corn Crake, or Corn Creak, by which latter term it 

 is also known in Ireland. 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. The male bird 

 is the caller, and he continues the note until a mate be found 

 and incubation commenced ; after which he is less frequently 

 heard. A Landrail, kept some time in confinement, uttered 

 besides a low guttural sound when alarmed or disturbed. Pen- 

 nant mentions, that Landrails were plentiful in Anglesey about 

 the third week in April, and the birds were supposed to pass 

 from thence to Ireland : it was common to kill seven or eight 

 in a morning. Mr. Selby mentions, also, that he has killed 

 eight or ten in the course of an hour, in a single field, in the 

 rich meadows upon the banks of the Trent, below Newark ; a 

 favourite locality, which is annually visited by great numbers 

 of Crakes. 



The food of the Landrail consists of worms, slugs, snails, 

 and insects, with small portions of vegetable matter and a 

 few seeds. The nest is formed on the ground, of dry plants ; 



