PLATE I 

 CORN CRAKE. Crex pratensis 



May ay///, 1893. The nest from which this Plate is taken was on a bank at 

 the side of a small wood at the edge of a meadow near the I^ike of 

 Monteith, Perthshire. 



I heard the birds every day not far from this place, and spent a long 

 time in searching for the nest before I at length found it. The bird almost 

 allowed me to take hold of her before quitting her post. The nest was built 

 in a little hollow in the ground beneath a dock plant, and was made of fine 

 grass and withered leaves beautifully interwoven. It contained eleven fresh 

 eggs, which were all arranged points downwards, so as to occupy the least 

 possible space. 



On my return to the nest some time afterwards I found thirteen eggs 

 in it, and the old bird was so tame that I actually touched her as she sat 

 on the nest. The grass had grown up round the nest and almost concealed 

 it, though it had been quite open when I took the photograph of it. I sat 

 down beside a tree not far off, and had a pipe while I was waiting for her 

 return. She must have come up from behind me, as I suddenly caught sight 

 of her not twelve yards from me, skulking along among the grass, going to 

 the nest. She did not make any effort to conceal herself when crossing a 

 patch of short grass, but walked slowly across and up to the nest, where she 

 carefully turned all the eggs with her bill before settling herself upon them. 

 This operation lasted nearly ten minutes, during which time she paid not the 

 slightest attention to me, though I moved about two or three times. The 

 male called continually, being answered by another bird in the next field, 

 but I never heard the sitting bird utter any kind of sound, either on the 

 nest or when she was coming back to it after being disturbed. 



VOL. II. B 5 



