CHAPTER VIII THE GAME-BIRDS (continued] 

 Landrail Woodcock Great Snipe Common Snipe Jack Snipe. 



THE LANDRAIL. (Crex pratensis^ 



A LTHOUGH no strikingly close affinity exists 

 ** between quail and landrail, it accords with the 

 general fitness of things that the description of these 

 two birds should come together. In very remote 

 times, centuries prior to the Christian era, the landrail 

 was styled " Mother of quails," it being a popular belief 

 among the most highly-civilized nations of that age that 

 the landrail was the forerunner or leader of the quail 

 when on migration. This supposition has been well 

 handed down to posterity, for at the present time, along 

 the shores of the Mediterranean, the landrail is called by 

 various names, signifying " king/' " leader," and so forth, 

 of the quails. 



This migrating game-bird is a summer visitor to 

 Britain, and to many of our country-folk it is known as 

 corncrake or, more particularly in the north, as daker- 

 hen. In the southern counties of England, it may be 

 expected to arrive about the third week in April, whilst 

 possibly the end of that month, or even May, will have 

 arrived before the presence of the bird is noted north 

 of the Humber. Landrail are frequently met with by 

 partridge-shooters in the early season, but by the end of 



