272 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. 



sub'ect by a simple detail of facts, leaving the reader to form 

 his own theory as he pleases. 



" The Rail, or Sora, belongs to a genus of birds of which about 

 thirty different species are enumerated by naturalists, and these 

 are distributed on almost every region of the habitable parts ol 

 the earth. The general character of these is every where the 

 same. They run swiftly, fly slowly and usually with the legs 

 hanging down, become extremely fat, are fond of concealment, 

 and whenever it is practicable, prefer running to flying. Most 

 of them are migratory, and abound during the summer in cer- 

 tain countries, the inhabitants of which have very rarely an 

 opportunity of seeing them. Of this last, the Land Rail ot 

 Britain is a striking example. This bird, which during the 

 summer months may be heard in almost every grass and clover 

 field in the kingdom, uttering its common note, 'ere/:, creh,' from 

 sunset to a late hour in the night, is yet unknown by sight to 

 more than nine-tenths of the inhabitants. 



" Its well-known cry, says Bewick, is first heard as soon as 

 the grass liecomes long enough to shelter it, and continues till 

 the grass is cut, but the bird is seldom seen, for it constantly 

 skulks among the thickest part of the herbage, and runs so 

 nimbly through it, winding and doubling in every direction, 

 that it is difficult to come near it. When hard pushed by the 

 dog, it sometimes stops short and squats down, by which means 

 its too eager pursuer overshoots the spot and loses the trace. 



" It seldom springs, but when driven to extremity, and gene- 

 rally flies with its legs hanging down, but never to a gi'eat 

 distance ; as soon as it alights it runs off", and before the fowler 

 has reached the spot the bird is at a considerable distance. 



" The Water-crake, or Spotted Rail of the same country, 

 which in its plumage approaches nearer to our Rail, is another 

 notable example of the same general habit of the genus. Its 

 common abode, says the same writer, is in low, swampy 

 grounds, in which are pools or streamlets overgrown with 

 willows, reeds and rushes, where it lurks and hides itself with 

 great circumspection. It is wild, solitary and sly, and vv'ill 



