236 GRALI^E. 



CRAKE (Crex). 



The birds of this genus resemble the Gallinse in some of 

 their characters, even more than the one last mentioned ; and 

 they have also much of the appearance of running birds. 

 The bill is shorter than the head, compressed, conical, the 

 depth at the base exceeding the breadth, compressed and 

 pointed at the tip, and both mandibles of equal length. The 

 upper mandible ridged on the exterior, the nasal grooves 

 wide, the nostrils lateral, half way down the bill, half covered 

 by a membrane, which defends them in part. The head and 

 neck are small ; the axis of the whole body horizontal in 

 running ; the shafts of the feathers on the fore part ending 

 in webless and thickened points, which keep the feathers 

 down like so many little weights ; the whole form of the 

 body admirably fitted for getting through tall and close 

 herbage. The legs long and strong in proportion to the size 

 of the birds, naked to a little distance above the tarsal joints. 

 The three front toes long and fine, slightly bordered with 

 membrane, the hind toe short and articulated on the tarsus 

 above the others. The whole leg and foot formed for rapid 

 progressive motion, and having much elastic spring in the 

 toes, which act by the tarsal joints being bent as the foot 

 begins to be raised, and the tendons being strongly drawn 

 over the large processes of the tarsal joint as over a pulley. 

 Tail short, narrow, and rounded, and wings of moderate size. 



They inhabit tall herbage, preferring places where the sur- 

 face is rather humid, and which abound with worms, slugs, 

 and ground insects, which form the principal part of their 

 food. They chiefly repose during the day ; and feed and 



scon them l>l;u'k, white burred with black, yellow, yellow mottled with 

 black, ]uirc white, &c. It is also singular that the same bird will seldom 

 have the -plumes of the same colour on the succeeding sea-on. The 

 female is termed the reeve, and is much inferior in size to the male. M. 



