RALLIP.E. 439 



I have never myself found them or heard of their 

 heing found in this county later than Octoher. 



The Land Rail frequents corn-fields, clover-seed 

 and thick grass. The nest is consequently fre- 

 quently cut out at hay-making time : it is placed on 

 the ground, and formed of a very few dry plants and 

 grasses. Meyer says this bird occasionally has two 

 broods in the year. The food consists of worms, 

 slugs, snails, small lizards and insects, with portions 

 of vegetable matter and a few seeds.* 



In plumage the Land Rail is rather a handsome 

 bird. The beak is pale brown ; the irides hazel ; 

 the feathers on the top of the head are black, 

 narrowly margined with pale yellowish brown ; over 

 the eye, extending to the side of the neck, is a 

 broadish patch of bluish grey ; space from the beak 

 to the eye, a streak under the eye, and down the side 

 of the neck yellowish brown ; underneath this is a 

 broadish patch of bluish grey; back, scapulars, rump, 

 tail-covert and tertial feathers black in the centres, 

 more or less broadly margined with pale yellowish 

 brown; the wing-coverts are chesnut ; primary quills 

 darkish chesnut-brown ; chin white ; lower part of 

 the neck and the breast bluish grey, mixed with pale 

 yellowish brown ; flanks and under tail-coverts white, 

 tinged with yellow and striped with reddish brown ; 

 belly greyish white ; legs, toes and claws pale 



* Yarrell, vol. iii., p. 108. 



