THE CORN CRAKE. 



Rallus Crex, LINNJEUS ; Le Rale de Cenet, ou Roi de Cailles, BUFFON ; Der 

 Wachtelkonig, BECHSTEIN. 



THE corn crake being always found with quails in propor- 

 tionate numbers, departing with them in autumn, and returning 

 at the same time in spring, no doubt deserves the name Buffon 

 has given it of King of the Quails. It is ten inches in length. 

 The beak is flattish, greyish brown above, and bluish red 

 beneath ; the feet are lead grey ; the feathers of the head, of 

 the back of the neck, of the back, and even of the tail, are 

 black, edged with reddish grey ; which gives them the appear- 

 ance of being streaked : a grey ash-coloured streak passes above 

 the eyes, another below them ; the wing-coverts and anterior 

 quill-feathers are chestnut brown ; the front of the neck and 

 the breast are dusky ash-grey ; the belly is white, but the 

 sides and vent are dark brown, spotted with rusty brown and 

 white. 



The breast of the female is pale grey, and the streaks near 

 her eyes greyish white. 



OBSERVATIONS. The male is often heard uttering his kind of croaking 

 notes, " arrp, schnarrp" in the meadows and fields, in the evening and 

 at night ; but is rarely seen to fly. It feeds on insects and grain, for which 

 bread soaked in milk may be substituted, when it is in the house. The 

 female lays from eight to twelve greenish grey eggs, streaked with pale 

 brown, on the bare ground ; the young ones, when hatched, are covered 

 with a kind of black down, the feathers of varied colours do not appear 

 for three weeks. The hen sits with so much constancy, that she will often 

 perish by the sithe rather than quit her eggs. The young, like the young 

 quails, run under the oat sheaves, and may easily be caught there by 

 the hand. 



The agility of these birds, and their pleasing habits, render them much 

 admired in the house ; they chirp very much like chickens. I confess I 

 like very much to hear the " arrj), schnarrp " of the male in the evening 

 near me. 



