170 BALLID^E 



most numerous, and for a two-fold reason ; firstly, the 

 shooting has become very general, secondly, the birds, 

 which may have remained all the summer, are reinforced 

 by passing autumn-migrants. It is very unlikely, save in 

 a few cases, that the Spotted Crake winters in Ireland. 

 The only counties without records of its occurrence are the 

 following : Limerick, King's Co., Meath, Leitrim, Gal way, 

 Cavan, Kilkenny, Carlow, Kildare, Longford, and Monaghan. 



Like the Corn-Crake, this species may be found fre- 

 quenting uplands and dry meadows, but it is more partial to 

 wet ditches abounding in a thick growth of brambles and 

 weeds, in the midst of which it can hide from its enemies. 

 It is most difficult to induce this bird to take wing, for 

 even when hotly pursued by a good water-dog it will dodge 

 in and out, making for the most intricate cover, from which 

 it can be dislodged only with the greatest difficulty. As we 

 catch a glimpse of it stealing silently away, we regard it for 

 a moment as a small mammal, perhaps a rat, not a bird. 

 Mr. Harting has noted it " swimming like a little Moor- 

 hen, nodding its head and flirting its tail." 



Flight. The Spotted Crake can fly at a considerable 

 height and with great speed. When migrating around the 

 coast it is known to fly some distance out to sea. As an 

 instance of this fact we find that it has been taken at isolated 

 lighthouses, such as the Tearaght, off the co. Kerry, on 

 August 21st, 1887, and the Fastnet, off the co. Cork, August 

 20th, 1895 (Barrington, ' Migration of Birds '). 



Voice. The note, as described by Mr. Saunders, is a 

 peculiar whuit, whuit. 



Food. The food consists of aquatic insects and vegetable 

 material, together with worms and slugs. 



Nest. In its nesting-habits this Crake is strongly 

 aquatic. It usually builds in thick reed -grown marshes, 

 or in a tussock ; sometimes on an islet of sedges with 

 water all round. The outside of the nest is formed of 

 long flags ; the cup-shaped centre is lined with fine soft 

 grass (Saunders). The eggs, eight to ten in number, are 

 greenish-brown, blotched and dashed with dark reddish- 

 brown. 



The Spotted Crake has nested in the following districts 

 in England : Several of the southern counties, East Anglia, 

 the Humber, Trent, and Solway districts, Durham, and 

 Northumberland . 



In Wales it has nested in the bogs of Breconshire. 



