THE AUSTRALIAN LANDRAIL. 101 



near Mordialloc. "We both shot well and pretty even, 

 and all was game on that day. At night we brought 

 home to my tent 



16| couple quail, 3| couple scrub quail, 1 rail, 3 couple 

 pigeons, 11 couple snipe, 3 nankeen cranes, 1 red lowry, 

 5 black-ducks, 3 shovellers, 3 coots, 2 black cockatoos, 

 2 moorhens, 7 shell parroquets. 



I do not quote this as anything extraordinary, and I 

 have no doubt it has often been beaten ; but I fancy it 

 would puzzle two men to do it again on the same ground. 

 It will, however, give the reader an idea of the varied 

 contents of an Australian game-bag. 



The painted snipe is the common snipe on the Adelaide 

 side, but is not met with here. It is a pretty variety, 

 and something resembles the painted quail in plumage. 



The Australian Landrail is a species of crake, as large 

 as the corn-crake at home, but handsomer in plumage, 

 and principally frequents rushes and sedge in moist 

 situations ; but you often find them in fern on dry rises, 

 a long way from water. They are very common during 

 the summer, very hard to rise, run a great deal, fly 

 exactly like the corn-crake at home, and their cry 

 when disturbed is a sharp " chip, chip, chip." They are 

 excellent eating. Bred with us, and left early in the 

 autumn. 



"We had two smaller varieties, which I have described 

 hereafter, in my notes on the ornithology of this 

 country, as they scarcely come within the list of game 

 birds. 



