198 BIRDS. 



apparently thought it wanted to show fight, and commenced to 

 give battle to the Snipe, ruffling up the feathers round its neck 

 like a gamecock, and striking at the Snipe in the manner 

 gamecocks do to each other. 



Porzana maruetta (Leach). Spotted Crake. 



We have no further evidence that this bird has occurred in 

 Orkney since the bare statement by Messrs. Baikie and Heddle, 

 that it has been observed, though rarely, in Sanday. 



Crex pratensis, Bechst. Land-Rail, 



An exceedingly abundant summer visitor to all the islands, though 

 according to Mr. Kanken, not so plentiful as it used to be, on 

 account of the spread of the Brown Eat, and he gives the island 

 of Stronsay as an instance of this. 



We have received so many accounts of the Land -Kail having 

 been found in winter that it would be superfluous to mention 

 them separately. We cannot account for this unless it is that 

 the equability of the climate induces them to stay longer than 

 where it is otherwise, and the abundance of old turf-dykes, 

 which give them excellent shelter. 



Mr. Moodie-Heddle sends us the following notes : 



" This bird is often found in winter, both in Orkney and in 

 Ireland, which makes the people say they are * sleepers.' They 

 feign death when captured by hand, as I have personally proved. 

 When the crops are cut early, and they take to the barer 

 moor ground before migrating, they fly much more strongly, 

 and to a considerable distance. It is only when cover is near 

 that they fly with their feet hanging down. My father saw 

 one on Christmas day, and Mr. Traill of Holland and the 

 late Mr. Scarth of Binscarth have caught specimens about the 

 same time of year. These were doubtless birds which had 

 been injured or.too weak to migrate." 



We found the Land-Kail very abundant during our visits to 

 Orkney in 1883 and 1888; in the former year we found one 



