410 BIRDS OF NORFOLK. 



by diving is prevented by the ice, the unfortunate rail 

 falls an easy victim ; either compelled to take flight, or, 

 not unfrequently captured by the dog. 



Mr. A. Newton tells me that on the 16th of February, 

 1856, during frosty weather, he had a live water-rail 

 brought to him at Elveden. As it had been a good 

 many hours without food, and there was not the least 

 chance of its obtaining any if he liberated it, he put 

 some soaked bread into its bill, and in a few minutes, 

 while he yet held it in his hand, it began to pick bits 

 of bread from his fingers. On his setting it down on 

 the floor with a saucer before it it went fairly to work, 

 and soon made itself at home, running about the room 

 and showing great inquisitiveness. It examined every 

 corner, tried to scramble into all sorts of impossible 

 places, perched on the cross rails of chairs, jumped up 

 to the windows, when, of course, it was much surprised 

 by the nature of glass ; finishing every tour of inspection 

 with a visit to the saucer, and now and then walking 

 deliberately to the fireplace, where it shook its feathers 

 and dozed for a few moments in evident enjoyment of 

 the warmth. With all this, however, it only lived a 

 short time. 



Messrs. Grurney and Fisher mention a curious instance 

 of a water-rail being found dead in a meadow at Earl- 

 ham, near Norwich, with a small fish called the 

 " Miller's thumb " (Coitus gobio) fixed in its throat, 

 the bird having been choked in the attempt to swallow 

 it.* Varieties of this species are very rarely met with. 

 In February, 1863, I saw a rather remarkable-looking 

 specimen which had been shot at Lingwood, and had 

 the upper part of the head, neck, back, and wing- 

 coverts, thickly sprinkled with white feathers. 



* Mr. Jeffery in his " Ornithological Notes from West Sussex " 

 ("Zoologist," 1868, p. 1034), remarks, "The water-rail is a fish 

 eater ; three small ' Miller's thumbs' or ' Bull heads ' were found 

 in the stomach of one." 



