RALLID&. 99 



has repeatedly observed a pair of these Sandpipers 

 in the summer months near Chesham and at Slapton, 

 from both of which places he has a specimen in his 

 collection. It frequents the Chess, the Colne, and 

 the Kennet, and breeds near all these rivers, but the 

 nest is a hard one to find. 



Family RALLID^. 



LANDRAIL (Crex pratensis). Local name, Corn 

 Crake. Reaches these counties about the middle of 

 April, after which month it is a very numerous 

 species. 



Mr. Lillywhite, jun., of Eton Wick, told me that a 

 Landrail allowed herself to be taken up in his hand 

 without offering any resistance, on the 24th of Sep- 

 tember, 1867. This species leaves us towards the 

 end of August, but a few are sometimes killed in 

 September by gentlemen out partridge shooting. 



It rarely remains with us through the winter ; but 

 on Christmas Day, 1865, one of these birds, in very 

 poor condition, was picked up in a field on the banks 

 of the Thames, near Eton. 



SPOTTED CRAKE (Crex porzand). This is by no 

 means a common bird, and of local habits, but a 

 great number escape notice by hiding themselves in 

 dense reeds and overgrown ditches. 



A pair were shot between Eton and Surley about 

 three years since, and were preserved in Windsor. 



H 2 



