LANDRAIL. 95 



of old, highly valued the Rayle, which, he says, " seldom 

 comes but upon rich men's spits." The usual weight of a 

 Landrail is about six ounces ; but I have seen one instance, 

 and heard of another, in which this bird weighed eight 

 ounces and a half. Pennant mentions one that weighed 

 eight ounces. 



Mr, Jesse, in his remarks on this bird, says, " I have 

 met with an incident in the Natural History of the Corn 

 Crake which I believe is perfectly accurate, having been in- 

 formed that the bird will put on the semblance of death 

 when exposed to danger from which it is unable to escape. 

 The incident was this : A gentleman had a Corn Crake 

 brought to him by his dog, to all appearance quite dead. 

 As it lay on the ground, he turned it over with his foot, 

 and felt convinced that it was dead. Standing by, how- 

 ever, in silence, he suddenly saw it open an eye. He then 

 took it up ; its head fell ; its legs hung loose, and it 

 appeared again quite dead. He then put it in his pocket, 

 and before long he felt it all alive, and struggling to 

 escape. He then took it out ; it was as lifeless as before. 

 Having laid it again upon the ground and retired to some 

 distance, the bird in about five minutes warily raised its 

 head, looked round, and decamped at full speed. I have 

 seen a similar circumstance take place with a Partridge, 

 and it is well-known that many insects will practise the 

 same deception. They probably congregate before they 

 migrate, as I am assured that a considerable number were, 

 on one occasion, seen together near the sea-shore in the 

 neighbourhood of Swansea, about the time they usually 

 take their departure from this country." 



The Rev. Robert Holdsworth wrote me word that he 

 has been at the killing of thirteen couple in one day, in 

 Devonshire, in the month of September. Some years since, 



