7H THE CORNCRAKE, OR LANDRAIL. 



morass. " In these places it generally constructs its nest, one of which we had the good 

 fortune to discover. It was built in the bottom of a tuft of grass in the midst of an 

 almost impenetrable quagmire, and was composed altogether of old wet grass and rushes. 

 The eggs had been flooded out of the nest by the extraordinary rise of the tide in 

 a violent north-east storm, and lay scattered about the drift weed. The usual number of 

 eggs is from six to ten. They are of a dirty white or pale cream colour, sprinkled with 

 specks of reddish and pale purple, most numerous near the great end." 



The top of the head and the upper surface of the body are black streaked with brown ; 

 the cheeks and a streak over the eye are ashen grey ; and by the lower eyelid there is a 

 white mark. The wing-coverts are light chestnut, the quills are dusky black ; there is a 

 white streak on the bend of the wings ; the chin is white, and the whole lower surface is 

 orange-brown. The female may be distinguished from the male by the pale breast and 

 the greater amount of white on the chin and throat. The average length of the adult male 

 is ten inches, the female being about half an inch shorter. 



THE well-known COENCRAKE, or LANDRAIL, is common in almost every part of the 

 British Islands, its rough grating call being heard wherever the hay-grass is long enough 

 to hide the utterer. 



The bird runs with wonderful speed through the tall grass, and its cry may be heard 

 now close at hand, now in the distance, now right, and now left, without any other 

 indication of the bird's whereabouts ; for so deftly does it thread the grass stems that not 

 a shaken blade indicates its presence, and it is so wary that it keeps itself well hidden 

 among the thick herbage. The cry of the Corncrake may be exactly imitated by drawing 

 a quill or a piece of stick smartly over the large teeth of a comb, or by rubbing together 

 two jagged strips of bone. In either case the bird may be decoyed within sight by this 

 simple procedure. 



The Corncrake is not fond of its wings, and very seldom takes to the air, even 

 preferring to be caught by the dog than to escape by flight. When captured it has 

 a habit of simulating death, and often contrives to escape when the eye of its captor is 

 otherwise engaged. One of these birds which had been picked up by a pointer allowed 

 itself to be placed in the game-bag, carried home, and laid on the table without exhibiting 

 any indications of life. When it thought itself unwatched, it sprung up and dashed at 

 the window, which being closed frustrated this poor bird in its bold attempt. 



The Corncrake can be readily tamed, as will be seen from the following account by 

 Mr. Thompson : " It became quite tame and partook of food very various in kind, such 

 as groats (few, however, of these), raw meat, bread and milk, stirabout and milk, yolk of 

 boiled eggs and butter, which last was especially relished. It also ate worms, snails, 

 slugs, &c., and has been seen to take small sticklebacks that happened to be in the water. 

 This bird was very cleanly, and washed every morning in a basin of water set apart foi 

 the purpose. It was accustomed to be taken upstairs at night and brought down in the 

 morning, and of its own accord went habitually out of the cage into a basket containing 

 moss, where the night was passed, and in the morning likewise left the basket and 

 entered the cage in which it was carried downstairs. 



When allowed to go about the house, the persons to whom it was attached were 

 sought for and followed everywhere. On becoming unwell, the poor bird took possession 

 of the lap of a member of the family, and looked up to her apparently for relief ; though 

 when in health it resisted all attempts at being handled, flying up at the intruder and 

 snapping its mandibles together. Every spring it called with the usual crake, beginning 

 very early in the morning ; this was usually commenced in March, but on one occasion 

 was uttered as early as the 3d of February. As was remarked of the bird after this 

 period, 'it would crake quite impudently in the parlour when orought there to be 

 shown off.' 



Moulting look place in the month of August, but no symptoms of uneasiness appeared 

 then or at any particular season. At pairing time this bird was very comical, coining up 

 with its wings spread and neck stretched out after the manner of a turkey cock, and 

 uttering a peculiar croaking note. It would then make a sort of nest in the cage. 



