CORN-CRAKE. 535 



CREX PRATENSIS. 

 CORN-CRAKE. 



(PLATE 23.) 



Rallus genistarum, I ^ Qm y ^ 2 



Rallus ortygometra, I 



Rallus crex, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 261 (1766). 



Qallinula crex (Linn.), Tunst. Orn. Brit. p. 3 (1771). 



Crex pratensis, Bechst. Orn. Taschenb. ii. p. 336 (1803) ; et auctorum pluri- 



mortun (Nattmann), Loche, Degland 8f Gerbe, Jerdon, Salvadori, Dresser, 



Sounders, &c. 

 Ortygometra crex (Linn.), Leach, Syst. Cat. Mamm. fyc. Brit. Mus. p. 34 (1816). 



Crex herbarum, ") ,-, , -,* T\ in r>m /iom\ 

 [ Brehm. Vog. Deutschl. p. 694 (1831). 

 Crex alticeps, ) 



The Corn-Crake or Land-Rail, as it is often called, is a common 

 summer migrant to the British Islands, and is found in all suitable loca- 

 lities, including the Outer Hebrides, the Orkney and Shetland Islands, 

 St. Kilda, and the Channel Islands. A few birds occasionally remain 

 during the winter in this country. 



The Corn-Crake breeds in the western Palaearctic Region as far east as 

 the valley of the Yenesay, and winters in the Ethiopian Region. It is a 

 summer visitor to the Faroes ; but its occurrence in Iceland is doubtful. 

 In Scandinavia it breeds as far north as the Arctic circle, and has been 

 obtained in lat. 69^. It is a rare summer visitor to Archangel ; but in 

 the Ural Mountains is not known to occur north of lat. 60. In Western 

 Siberia it has only been recorded in the extreme south, where it is abun- 

 dant in the Altai Mountains ; but in the valley of the Yenesay it occurs as 

 far north as lat. 59|. The Corn-Crake is a summer visitor to Central and 

 Southern Europe, except that in the Spanish peninsula, Southern Italy, and 

 Greece it is only known as passing through on migration. It is an acci- 

 dental visitor to the Azores, and occasionally occurs in the Canaries and 

 Madeira. It is a resident in Algeria, but passes through Egypt on spring 

 and autumn migration. In Palestine and Asia Minor it is said to be a 

 resident. To the Caucasus and Russian Turkestan it is a common summer 

 visitor. It appears to be only of very accidental occurrence in North-west 

 India ; but is said to be common in Afghanistan, and has occurred in 

 North Persia. It is very common during our winter in Natal, and has 

 been obtained in the Transvaal and the Cape Colony. Although it is so 

 difficult to make the Corn-Crake take wing, it is nevertheless a bird of very 

 powerful flight, and has been known to stray to Greenland, the Bermudas, 



