580 THE RAILS 



young, not more than four days old, which must have been brooded 

 and tended by the male, after the death of the hen at any rate. On 

 the other hand, Naumann did not observe the male taking any part 

 in the work, but, of course, this is merely negative evidence. 



Most of our birds leave in October, but there is a very decided 

 immigration from Northern Europe to our eastern coasts during the 

 autumn. Like the other Crakes, this bird appears to be a poor flier 

 when flushed and travelling low with drooping feet for short 

 distances. When fairly under way, however, the feet are stretched 

 out behind, and the little bird progresses with a rapid flight which 

 recalls that of the starling. Migration appears to be carried on by 

 night, and not in company as a rule : the birds resting in swampy 

 ground by day, and rising in the evening to a good height before 

 proceeding on their journey southward. As showing that it must be 

 capable of powerful flight, Dr. Henderson found one which was 

 evidently resting on migration on a small lake at a height of some 

 16,000 feet on the great Karakorum Range in Central Asia. 1 To 

 those who know how serious an obstacle to bird migration even a 

 comparatively low mountain range presents, this speaks eloquently of 

 its powers. 



Mr. E. T. Booth mentions one curious incident which explains 

 why this species is so often able to elude the best dogs. A bird 

 which had been flushed dropped into a thick bed of rushes, near the 

 edge of a dyke, and could not be dislodged. A lurcher, which was 

 with him at the time, appearing to make a point at some object in 

 the water, his master declared that the bird was concealed close at 

 hand, and, turning up his sleeves, groped among the weeds at the 

 bottom, bringing up the crake at the second attempt ! Probably it 

 grasped the weeds with its feet, and so retained its position at the 

 bottom, occasionally raising its bill above the water to take in a fresh 

 supply of air, as the waterhen does under similar circumstances. 



1 Henderson and Hume, Lahore to Yarkand, p. 293. 



