24 OUR MIGRANT BIRDS 



Female's call, a low, musical dissyllable. Alarm-note, 

 much like the Partridge's. 



Habits. — An expert runner, spending most of its 

 time on the ground. On the wing it is like a miniature 

 Partridge, flying with rapidly vibrated and whirring 

 wings. Usually monogamous, the males fighting very 

 fiercely at mating time. 



Food. — Insects, small slugs, seeds, and grain. 



Nest. — May or June. Two broods sometimes. 



Site. — In a little hollow scraped in the ground ; 

 among growing herbage. 



Materials. — If any, a few dead grasses. 



Eggs. — Seven to twelve. Yellowish white, spotted 

 and blotched with umber-brown. 



LANDRAIL or CORN CRAKE {Crex pratensis). 



April to October. Somewhat local, but otherwise 

 generally distributed throughout the British Isles. 



Haunts. — Cultivated districts, and very partial to 

 low-lying meadows. 



Plumage. — Upper parts yellowish-brown, with dark 

 centres to feathers ; areas above eyes and on cheeks 

 ashy grey. Wing-coverts and quills chestnut. Throat 

 white. Breast huffish. Belly and flanks well barred 

 with brown and buff. Bill, legs, and feet light brown. 

 Length ii in. Female, slightly smaller ; less grey on 

 head, and chestnut on wings. Young, like female. 

 Nestling covered with black down. 



Language. — The well-known grating " crek-crek," 

 like the noise produced by drawing one's finger-nail 

 across the teeth of a comb. 



Habits. — It lives on the ground, where, aided by its 

 thin, wedge-shaped body, it proceeds with great celerity 



