220 AUGUST. 



may as well add one or two other facts. The 

 corn-crake which visits us in summer, and keeps 

 up in our meadows its cry of crake, crake, is, 

 it is well known, not easily to be seen. It runs 

 with great rapidity, and is loth to take wing. 

 When found, it has the instinct, in common 

 with some other animals, and especially insects, 

 to feign death. A gentleman had one brought 

 to him by his dog. ' It was dead to all appear- 

 ance. As it lay on the ground, he turned it 

 over with his foot — he was convinced it was 

 dead. Standing by, however, some time in 

 silence, he suddenly saw it open an eye. He 

 then took it up — its head fell — its legs hung 

 loose — it appeared again totally dead. He then 

 put it in his pocket, and before very long he 

 felt it all alive and struggling to escape. He 

 took it out, it was as lifeless as before. He 

 then laid it again upon the ground and retired 

 to some distance; in about five minutes it warily 

 raised its head, looked round, and decamped at 

 full speed. 



I was, on a fine summer day, sitting in the 

 meadows opposite Tutbury Castle in Stafford- 

 shire, contemplating the remains of that fabric 

 which once imprisoned the Queen of Scots. 

 On the slope of the castle-hill facing me, I ob- 

 served a rabbit sitting by its burrow. Sud- 

 denly from a bush at some distance issued a 



