THE LANDRAIL OR CORNCRAKE. 289 



It arrives here towards the end of April, and 

 remains with us till the end of September. 

 During May and part of June its incessant 

 craking note is constantly reminding us of its 

 presence ; and if in July and August its silence 

 has caused us for a time to forget it, we renew 

 acquaintance once more in September, when 

 in quest of nobler and more important game. 

 After that month we may look for it almost in 

 vain, for, although a Landrail- now and then 

 turns up during the winter months, its appear- 

 ance at such times is exceptional, the great 

 majority of these birds having left our shores 

 before the first day of pheasant shooting has 

 come round. We can only account for the 

 appearance of Landrails in winter by supposing 

 them to be individuals of a late brood, unpre- 

 pared to leave at the proper time, or wounded 

 birds unable to take part in the autumnal migra- 

 tion. In Ireland, however, their occurrence in 

 winter and early spring has been noticed so 

 much more frequently than in England, that a 

 good naturalist there, Mr. Blake Knox, has 



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