CRAKE. GRALLATORES. CREX. 177 



birds respectively frequent ; the Meadow Crake (and, in- 

 deed some other species), affecting rich meadows, occasionally 

 inundated by running streams ; the others, the rougher 

 growth of marshy grounds or stagnant waters. In all other 

 particulars their manners are very similar, being of an equally 

 shy and timorous nature, depending for safety more upon 

 the concealment afforded by the long herbage in which they 

 habitually reside, and upon swiftness of foot, than on their 

 power of flight, as they are with difficulty roused to the lat- 

 ter expedient. This species is a summer visitant to us, ar- Periodical 

 riving in the southern and midland parts of the island in the 

 end of April, but seldom observed in the north before the 

 beginning of May. The first indication of its presence is 

 given by its peculiar and well known cry of crek, crek, fre- 

 quently repeated in a rough broken kind of note, not un- 

 like the sound produced by drawing a stick along the teeth 

 of a strong comb, and by which imitation the bird may fre- 

 quently be enticed within a very short distance. This is the 

 note of the male, and is continued until a mate be found and 

 incubation commenced, after which it ceases. Its favourite 

 resorts are rich meadow grounds, near to rivers, lakes, &c. 

 particularly such as are subject to occasional inundation. 

 Upon the banks of the Trent below Newark, the meadows 

 (which are of this description) are annually visited by great 

 numbers of Crakes ; and I have, in the course of an hour, 

 killed eight or ten in a single field. They are very plentiful 

 throughout Wales, the north of England, and Scotland, in 

 all such low situations as afford meadows and cultivated land 

 in the immediate vicinity of water. In the Highlands of 

 Scotland, and the Hebrides, they also abound, and their mi- 

 gration extends to the Orkney and Shetland Isles. PENNANT 

 remarks, that on first arriving in Anglesea they are very 

 lean ; but, in the midland and northern districts of England, 

 I have generally found them in high condition, and, I think, 

 as fat as they usually are previous to their departure in au- 

 tumn. This may perhaps be accounted for on the supposi- 



VOL. II. M 



