110 BIRD-LIFE IN A SOUTHERN COUNTY. 



one is heard, whilst at other times every swamp 

 and meadow resounds with his rasping cry. 

 Talking of Corn Crakes reminds me of a some- 

 what peculiar incident. Whilst standing one 

 autumn evening on the platform of Churston 

 Station just as dusk was falling, we were 

 startled by a great commotion amongst the tele- 

 graph wires. The rattling vibration sounded 

 almost like an approaching train. Looking up, we 

 were just in time to catch a glimpse of several 

 large birds disappearing in the gloom, and in a 

 moment the secret of the disturbance was apparent. 

 A covey of Partridges had gone bang through the 

 wires, leaving several dead upon the ground below. 

 But the most curious thing was that a Corn Crake 

 must have been flying with the Partridges, and 

 came to grief against the wires. I examined this 

 bird just after it was picked up by one of the 

 porters, and was surprised to find one of its wings 

 cut off as cleanly as if it had been amputated 

 with a knife. The bird, of course, was quite dead. 

 This is the first and only instance I have known of 

 Corn Crakes consorting with Partridges in such a 

 manner. Another bird we often meet with in the 

 Devonshire marshes in autumn is the Short-eared 



