THE RAILS 



[ORDER: Gruiformes. FAMILY: Rallidce] 



PRELIMINARY CLASSIFIED NOTES 



[F. C. R. JOTJRDAIN. F. B. KIRKMAN. W. P. PYCRAFT. A. L. THOMSON. 



E. L. TURNER] 



CORNCRAKE [Crex crex (Linnaeus) ; Crex pratensis Bechstein. Landrail, 

 dakerhen ; grass-quail (Cheshire) ; meadow-drake (Notts). French, rale des 

 pres ; German, Wiesenralle ; Italian, re di quaglie}. 



1. Description. The landrail may always be distinguished by the chestnut 

 colour of the wings, and the general yellowish buff hue of the plumage. There 

 is a slight seasonal change of plumage, and the sexes show a slight difference in 

 coloration. (PI. 132.) Length 1O5 in. [255-27 mm.]. The coloration of the 

 adult male, in summer, is of a yellowish brown, striated with black above, but 

 the wing-coverts are of a chestnut hue, the quills somewhat darker brown : the 

 tail feathers are of a reddish chestnut with a dark central area. Above the eye 

 is a band of bluish grey. This colour extends backwards and downwards on to 

 the cheek, throat, and breast. The lower breast is of a pale brown, the abdomen 

 white, while the flanks have the fore-parts sandy rufous barred with white, the 

 hind flanks of a deeper rufous tint with white bars. The female differs from the 

 male in having the grey areas paler. After the autumn moult the grey fades 

 entirely in both sexes, being replaced by an ochraceous tint, while the flanks are 

 barred with dark brown. The juvenile dress resembles that of the adult in 

 winter, but has the sides of the body of a nearly uniform tawny with a few dusky 

 bars on the flanks. The downy young is black, [w. P. P.] 



2. Distribution. In the British Isles this species has decreased in numbers 

 in the Midlands and south of England of late years, and is very scarce in East 

 Anglia, but ranges north to the Shetlands, and is abundant in the Orkneys and 

 Outer Hebrides, and has occurred on St. Kilda. It is common on the Isle of Man, 



