180 



neck moderately extended. The ordinary haunts 

 of the Land Eail, which prefers dry or moderately 

 moist to wet ground, are fields of corn and grass. 

 Its food consists of insects, worms, slugs, and 

 sometimes seeds. Its nest is composed of a few 

 straws laid in a straight hollow, among corn, grass, 

 or tall weeds. The eggs, generally eight or ten, 

 are of a light cream colour, patched and dotted 

 with brownish red and light purple spots. The 

 young, which are covered with down of a blackish 

 colour, run with surprising speed. 



RAIL, W A T E E, 



EALLTJS AQUATICTJS, Lin. 



The Water Eail is not very common in Great 

 Britain, but is numerous in the marshes of the 

 northern countries of Europe, whence'partially, and 

 at irregular periods, it migrates southward, even 

 into Africa, during the severity of the season. It 

 is a shy and solitary bird, generally distributed 

 and permanently resident in Britain. Its con- 

 stant abode is in low wet places much overgrown 

 with sedges, reeds, and other coarse herbage, 

 among which it finds shelter, and feeds in security. 

 It runs occasionally, flirting up its tail with the 

 same swiftness as the Land Eail, through the 

 meadows and corn-fields, and shows as great an 



