ond time, as it runs very fast, and seems to depend 

 more on the swiftness of its feet than on its flying. 



When we came to draw it, we found the entrails 

 so soft and tender, that in appearance they might 

 have been dressed like the ropes of a woodcock. 

 The craw or crop was small and lank, containing a 

 mucus ; the gizzard thick and strong, and filled with 

 small shell-snails, some whole, and many ground to 

 pieces through the attrition which is occasioned by 

 the muscular force and motion of that intestine. We 

 saw no gravels among the food ; perhaps the shell- 

 snails might perform the functions of gravels or peb- 

 bles, and might grind one another. Landrails used 

 to abound formerly, I remember, in the low wet 

 bean-fields of Christian Malford in North Wilts, and 

 in the meadows near Paradise Gardens at Oxford, 

 where I have often heard them cry '' crex, crex." 

 The bird mentioned above weighed 7J oz., was fat 

 and tender, and in flavour like the flesh of a wood- 

 cock. The liver was very large and delicate.]— Ob- 

 servations ON Nature. 



LETTER XXVI. 

 To Thomas Pennant, Esq. 



It gives me satisfaction to find that my account 



of the ousel migration pleases you. You put a very 



105 



