Packing. 269 



and remain there till after it is cut ; immediately 

 afterwards they are heard in the corn. Presently 

 they are silent and supposed to be gone ; but I have 

 heard of their being shot inthe opening of the shoot- 

 ing season on the uplands. The cry of the crake 

 in that locality is so common and so continuous as 

 to form one of the most striking features of the 

 spring: the farmers listen for them, and note their 

 first arrival just as for the cuckoo which it may be 

 observed, in passing, even in England keeps time 

 with the young figs. 



But when I had occasion to pass a spring in 

 Surrey the first thing I noticed was the rarity of the 

 crakes ; I heard one or two at most, and that only 

 for a short time. Long before the grass was mown 

 they were gone doubtless northwards, having only 

 called in passing. I am told they call again in 

 coming back, and are occasionally shot in Sep- 

 tember. But the next spring, chancing again to 

 be in Surrey at that season, though constantly about 

 out of doors, I never heard a crake but once one 

 single call and even then was not quite sure of it. 

 I am told, again, that there are parts of the county 

 where they are more numerous : they were certainly 

 scarce those two seasons in that locality. Now here 

 we have an instance in direct contradiction to the 

 suggestion that the early state of vegetation is at- 

 tractive to our spring visitors. The crakes appeared 

 to come earlier, in larger numbers, and to be more 

 contented and make a longer stay in the colder 

 county than in the warm one. 



The packing of birds is very interesting, and no 

 thoroughly satisfactory explanation of it, that I am 



