318 THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



of the abundance of Snipe, to tramp the country in 

 the neighbourhood of that town for a long day in 

 January, without finding more than two or three of 

 those birds, he used very strong language to his 

 informant, who had accompanied him, and said, " I 

 don't believe there are a dozen Snipes in the county." 

 " 'Deed then, Captain," replied the native, " the 

 Snipes is not many, but yer honor should be here 

 in the month of May." " What do you mean 1 who 

 the d 1 would shoot at Snipes in May ?" " Och, 

 thin, it isn't Snipes at all, but the Corn-Crakes does 

 be barking like dogs all around the barracks/' For 

 once in a way subsequent experience proved this 

 statement to be literally true. 



In captivity the Land-Rail is easily kept in good 

 health if allowed plenty of room and supplied with a 

 variety of suitable food ; these birds soon become 

 exceedingly tame, are very pugnacious, and very 

 dangerous companions to any other birds that they 

 can master. We have more than once seen a Land- 

 Rail feign death in the manner related of the Wryneck 

 in our article on that species. The well-known cry 

 which has gained for this bird the common name of 

 Corn-Crake is generally supposed to emanate from 

 the male bird only, but of the accuracy of this 

 supposition we entertain very considerable doubt. 

 No one who has only seen these birds flushed from 

 thick covert, with legs hanging, and apparently 

 laboured flight for perhaps a hundred yards, would 

 believe in their power of rapid, sustained, and lofty 

 progress through the air, but it has happened to 

 us on one occasion to see a Land-Rail passing high 

 overhead, and apparently travelling for pleasure, 

 and, again, we remember one of these birds that 



