LANDRAIL. 109 



dry plants ; and a field of thick grass, clover, or green 

 corn, is generally the situation chosen : the eggs, frqni 

 seven to ten in number, are produced in the middle of 

 June ; they are of a pale reddish white, spotted and 

 speckled with ash grey and pale red brown ; one inch six 

 lines in length, by one inch and one line in breadth. 

 Daniel says, that in 1808, as some men were mowing 

 grass upon a little island belonging to the fishing water 

 of Low Bells on Tweed, they cut the head from a Corn 

 Crake, that was sitting upon eleven eggs : about twenty 

 yards from this spot, they had nearly destroyed a Partridge 

 in a similar way, which was sitting upon eighteen eggs ; 

 but, observing her, the mowers took the eggs from the 

 nest of the Corn Crake, and put them into that of the 

 Partridge. Two days after she brought out the whole 

 brood, which were seen running about the island. The 

 Partridge catered for them all, and was observed to 

 gather her numerous family under her wings without any 

 distinction. Young Landrails are at first covered with 

 black down, but soon acquire their first feathers, and, 

 according to Mr. Selby's observation, are able to fly in 

 about six weeks. 



During the early part of the Partridge shooting-season 

 in this country, many Landrails are killed by sportsmen, 

 who, after the barley is cut, find them most frequently 

 in seed clover. This bird does not take wing very 

 readily, and flies but slowly, with its legs hanging down, 

 seldom going farther than the nearest hedge, or other 

 covert, in which it can hide itself; and is rarely flushed 

 a second time. Landrails are considered most delicate as 

 articles of food, and in such high estimation, that two 

 Landrails are said to be a present for a queen. Drayton, 

 of old, highly valued the Rayle, which, he says, " seldom 

 comes but upon rich men's spits." The usual weight of a 



