WADING BIRDS. 201 



occupied by gardens. Here they are fond of making 

 incursions, and in the summer time of feeding on the 

 currants and gooseberries ; but they run to the water on 

 the slightest alarm, and, if unable to conceal themselves 

 amongst the weeds on the water's edge, will sink their 

 bodies until only the beak is above the surface, remain- 

 ing quite still until the danger is removed, and rarely 

 making any attempt to escape by diving. As my own 

 garden abuts on this part of the river, I have often 

 carefully watched them when they have taken to the 

 water as I have described, and have twice detected them 

 in this trick by the bill when the body was submerged, but 

 it required a very close scrutiny. On one of these occasions 

 the bill was projected in the midst of a few broad flaggy 

 leaves of grass, which were bent down upon the water. 



The Water Rail (Rolhis aquaticus) is not uncommon, 

 but only on some portions of our streams which are 

 peculiarly suitable to its retiring habits ; these are chiefly 

 swampy ash-holts at Perlethorpe, and a similar marshy 

 spot much covered with alders at Budby ; here, how- 

 ever, they must be sought for. They are rarely seen 

 swimming on the streams themselves, but delight in 

 wading in the shallow pools and amongst the dense 

 aquatic vegetation. 



Spots such as these do not tempt the ordinary excur- 

 sionist, and few except the sportsman and the naturalist 

 care to risk a wet foot in their investigation. The water 

 rail is most plentiful in the first-named locality, which 

 is especially retired, and is the same where the black- 

 winged stilt was seen which I have previously mentioned. 

 I have often searched for, but never succeeded in find- 

 ing, its eggs. 



In March, 1849, a friend of mine picked up a water 



