The Natural History of Selborne 405 



the writers ; yet from its formation, seems to be poorly qualified 

 for migration ; for its wings are short, and placed so forward, and out 

 of the centre of gravity, that it flies in a very heavy and embarrassed 

 manner, with its legs hanging down ; and can hardly be sprung a 

 second time, as it runs very fast, and seems to depend more on the 

 swiftness of its feet than on its flying. 



When we came to draw it, we found the entrails so soft and 

 tender in appearance, they might have been dressed like the ropes 

 of a woodcock. The craw or crop was small and lank, containing 

 a mucus ; the gizzard thick and strong, and filled with small shell 

 snails, some whole, and many ground to pieces through the attrition 

 which is occasioned by the muscular force and motion of that 

 intestine. We saw no gravels among the food : perhaps the shell 

 snails might perform the functions of gravels or pebbles, and might 

 grind one another. Land-rails used to abound formerly, I remem- 

 ber, in the low wet bean-fields of Christian Malford in North Wilts, 

 and in the meadows near Paradise Gardens at Oxford, where I 

 have often heard them cry crex, crex. The bird mentioned above 

 weighed seven and a half ounces, was fat and tender, and in flavour 

 like the flesh of a woodcock. The liver was very large and 

 delicate. WHITE. 



Land-rails are more plentiful with us than in the neighbourhood 

 of Selborne. I have found four brace in an afternoon, and a friend 

 of mine lately shot nine in two adjoining fields ; but I ne\er saw them 

 in any other season than the autumn. 



That it is a bird of passage there can be little doubt, though Mr. 

 White thinks it poorly qualified for migration, on account of the 

 wings being short, and not placed in the exact centre of gravity ; how 

 that may be I cannot say, but I know that its heavy sluggish flight is 

 not owing to its inability to fly faster, for I have seen it fly very 

 swiftly, although in general its actions are sluggish. Its unwillingness 

 to rise proceeds, I imagine, from its sluggish disposition, and its great 

 timidity, for it will sometimes squat so close to the ground as to 

 surfer itself to be taken up by the hand, rather than rise ; and yet it 

 will at times run very fast. 



