THE JACANAS AND THE CORNCKAKE. 



465 



and dodging about so quickly when it sees the sportsman that it often 

 escapes his shot. One bird mentioned by Mr. Thompson used to baffle 

 an experienced sportsman by always feeding near an archway, and slip- 

 ping through it before the gun could be brought to bear. 



The nest of the Woodcock is made of leaves — those of the fern being 

 favorites — closely laid together, but without any particular skill in ar- 

 rangement, and without lining. The full number of eggs is four, and 

 their color is buffy white with rusty-brown blotches. 



The Jacanas are found in Asia, Africa, and America. Their light 

 bodies and widely-extended claws enable them to walk on the leaves of 

 aquatic plants with equal ease and safety. As their weight is just suf- 

 ficient to sink the leaf a little below the surface, they quite have the 

 appearance of walking on the water itself. The common Jacana in- 

 habits the hotter parts of South America, and is abundant in Brazil 

 and Guiana. It possesses large and sharp spurs on the wing. It is 

 not a very large bird, barely exceeding a pigeon in bulk. 



We now come to the large family of the Rails, a curious group of 

 birds, formed for rapid movement, either on the ground or through the 

 water, but not particularly adapted for long flights. Many species in- 

 habit England. 



The well-known Corncrake, or Landrail, is common in almost 

 every part of the British Islands, its rough, grating call being heard 

 wherever the hay-grass is long enough to hide the utterer. 



The bird runs with wonderful speed through the tall grass, and its 

 cry may be heard now close at hand, now in the distance, now right, 

 and now left, without any other 

 indication of the bird's where- 

 abouts ; for so deftly does it 

 thread the grass-stems that 

 scarcely a shaken blade indi- 

 cates its presence, and it is so 

 wary that it keeps itself well 

 hidden among the thick herb- 

 age. The cry of the Corn- 

 crake may be exactly imitated 

 by drawing a quill or a piece 

 of stick smartly over the large 

 teeth of a comb, or by rubbing 

 together two jagged strips of The Corncrake {Orfygomdra crex). 

 bone. In either case the bird may be decoyed within sight by this 

 simple procedure. 



The nest of the Corncrake is placed on the ground, and is made of 

 dry grass arranged in a suitable depression. It generally contains 

 from eight to twelve eggs, of a buffy white covered with rusty-brown 



2 E 



