Tie Corn-Crake. 375 



marshy grass-lands. Their cry is a peculiar roll of 

 short notes, all in the same key and of the same length. 

 The sound, crec, crec, crec, has been compared to the 

 noise made by drawing the finger along the teeth of a 

 comb. The legs of the Corn-Crake are unusually long 

 for the size of the bird, and hang down while it is on 

 the wing. Its flesh is greatly esteemed for its delicate 

 flavour. This bird is never seen on the wing in this 

 country, and is extremely difficult to capture ; they 

 cannot be made to rise like partridges and many other 

 birds, nor is it of much use to invade their cover. They 

 glide through the corn, without the least perceptible 

 rustle, and with wonderful rapidity, considering the size 

 of the bird, and if the sportsman follows in the direction 

 of the sound, it ceases for a while, and then, perhaps, is 

 heard far in the rear ; if he follows it again, it is not 

 long before the sound is heard setting in its former or 

 some other direction. 



It is said by some writers that the Corn-Crake is a sort 

 of natural ventriloquist, and can make his note appear 

 to proceed from quite another direction than the spot in 

 which he lies hid. It is probable, however, that the 

 delusion arises from the astonishing swiftness with which 

 the bird passes through the covers, where it is usually 

 found. And as they can never be made to rise, the ob- 

 server has very seldom the means of deciding whether the 

 bird was in the place its cry seemed to proceed from or not. 



The nest is made in a hole in the ground, and is lined 

 with dead leaves, moss, and other soft substances. There 

 are generally ten, twelve, or fourteen eggs. The pecu- 

 liar cry by which the bird is recognised is only uttered 

 during the period of incubation. 



Corn-Crakes are occasionally found to have a great 

 fondness for water. An anecdote is related by Craven, 

 in his "Young Sportsman's Manual," of a young bird of 

 this species, in the possession of a Mr. Jervis, which had 

 a remarkable partiality for water, in which it would 

 dive and splash, as if unused to any other element. If 

 the habits of this bird could be watched more closely, 

 perhaps we should find that this fondness for water is 

 not uncommon in its wild state. 



