22 FAMILIAR WILD BIRDS. 



summer's evening the discordant " crake, crake, crake " of 

 this bird is the only sound to break the silence, or indicate 

 that any portion of the animal world is still awake. The 

 note is distinctly ventriloquial ; and although the bird may 

 be close to the listener, yet it seems quite impossible to 

 decide from which quarter the sounds proceed, almost 

 every series of "crakes" appearing to come from a different 

 direction. The same peculiarity, though not in so marked 

 a degree, is noticeable in many other birds. 



The noise made by the bird may be very closely imi- 

 tated by passing the thumbnail rapidly along the teeth of 

 a comb. Indeed, so good is this imitation, that Mr. 

 Yarrell affirms birds may be decoyed by it to within a 

 distance of a very few yards. 



The Landrail delights to hide in cornfields, meadows 

 of mowing grass, clover fields, willow beds, and similar 

 places which will afford the concealment and shelter it so 

 much prizes. It moves about in these secure covers with 

 ease and great rapidity, gliding between the stalks of grass 

 or corn with the quiet nimbleness of a mouse, and occa- 

 sionally stopping to cautiously raise its head and peer dis- 

 trustfully around. It takes to flight with considerable 

 reluctance ; and even when compelled to use its wings, it 

 flies only a short distance, and soon drops into some con- 

 genial hiding-place. The flight is feeble, and, if the ex- 

 pression is permissible, shambling in its character — the 

 legs hang loosely down, and the wings flap somewhat 

 irregularly. Considering the very indifferent progress it 

 makes in the air, it is really a matter of astonishment how 

 the bird can manage to accomplish the journey necessary 

 to bring it to our shores. 



Seeds of various sorts, worms, slugs, beetles, and other 



