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the open ground, preferring those spots where 

 grain is plentiful. Sometimes, however, it shelters 

 itself among the trees or brushwood, but even 

 then seems to pass but little of its time in such 

 retreats. During the winter it approaches human 

 habitations in search of food, and boldly fights with 

 the poultry for the grain thrown to them. This 

 species makes a rude nest under the shelter of corn 

 or grass tufts, and lays from fifteen to twenty-four 

 pure white eggs. 



RAIL, LAND. 



CORN-CRAKE. 



CREX, Penn. 



This species, which although seldom seen is 

 often heard, arrives in England in the beginning 

 of summer, and the greater part of them depart 

 early in September. Some of the young, however, 

 are killed at a much later period. It is generally 

 distributed, occurring in considerable numbers in 

 the most northern parts of Scotland and its islands, 

 as well as in England and Ireland. Its well 

 known cry of crek, crek, repeated often for a long 

 time continuously, or at intervals, and heard as 

 if at varying distances, is emitted while the bird is 

 standing in a half- crouching attitude, with the 



N 2 



