218 THE LAND RAIL, 



call, which possesses all the modulations of distance. 

 The nest is made as carelessly as the partridge's, 

 with some soft, dry leaves, or grass ; there it lays 

 from ten to twelve eggs. Moss is sometimes intro- 

 duced into the architecture of the nest; and some 

 natural hollow of the ground is always selected. Its 

 eggs are of a dull white ; its food, in summer, insects, 

 worms, and slugs. Jardine once took a mouse from 

 the stomach of a corn crake. This bird will some- 

 times dive and swim in a singular manner. We have 

 read of a Mr. Jervis, who possessed a young bird of 

 this sj)ecies, that was immoderately fond of the water. 

 It would dart to the bottom, and swim, and splash 

 about, with the superabundant activity of a creature 

 unused to any other element. The com crake is 

 found generally all over the British islands, but we 

 wish it were in more plenty. It extends north to 

 Shetland and Orkney. It has, however, almost dis- 

 appeared in several localities where it was frequent. 

 In the south of Scotland, ten years ago, it was plenti 

 ful ; it is now very rare in the same vales. The 

 " creke" is only uttered during the season of incuba- 

 tion. We give Jardine 's description of the feathers 

 and generic characters : — " Over the eyes, behind the 

 auriculars, and extending beyond the neck, is a streak 

 of grey, blending into the colours on either side ; on 

 the crown, back of the upper j)arts and tertials, the 

 ground colour, or centre, of the feathers, is hair 

 brown, each being very broadly edged with yellow- 

 ochre brown, or a yellow tint of oil green ; the wing 



