LAND-RALL. 133 
V.—RALLIDA. 
218. LAND-RAIL—(Grer pratensis). 
Corn Crake, Meadow Crake, Dakerhen.—This bird is found 
in most parts of the kingdom, though for the most part in no 
great abundance any where, in the earlier months of the autumn, 
In most of the northern parts it breeds annually, but I do not 
remember ever hearing its breeding note while I was a dweller 
in the district embracing what are usually called the Eastern 
Counties. Nor yet in Herefordshire. But the note in question 
has been sufficiently familiar to me for the last twenty years, and 
here in North Yorkshire I hear it on all sides of me, at all hours, 
I may say, of day and night. For two or three years in succes- 
sion a pair took possession of a small plantation of young fir trees 
bordering my garden lawn on the north, and only separated from 
it by a deep ditch with a run of water at the bottom. Long 
after the union seemed to have been formed the peculiar note was 
kept up, and I used to see both birds within a few feet of each 
other during its continuance, Scarcely a day passed during their 
sojourn of eight or ten days in and about the plantation, but 
excursions were taken into the garden, frequently extending to 
the terrace beneath my dining-room window, where sundry very 
inquirmg and interested glances—not to Say stares—were ex- 
changed between the visitors and myself and divers members of 
my family. The visitors seemed very little disturbed at our 
notice as long as we remained quite still and silent, but any 
movement on our part led to immediate retreat on the Corn 
Crake’s. Its movements were desultory or m jerks, so to 
speak. The bird would run ten or twelve paces in an 
attitude and with a speed which left one in doubt for a moment 
whether it were not some small quadruped. Then it would 
