CORN-CRAKE, OR LAND-RAIL. 237 



utter their cries chiefly from sunset to sunrise. Their note 

 is very nearly the same, constantly repeated, very audible, 

 but so ventriloque, that one cannot easily tell from what 

 particular part of the field it issues. There are four species 

 enumerated as British birds, none of them resident in the 

 winter. 



CORN-CRAKE OR LAND-RAIL (Crex pratensis). 



A figure of this bird is given on the plate at page 151, 

 one-sixth of the lineal dimensions. That figure will save the 

 necessity of describing the markings of the plumage, which 

 are very minute, and cannot be very intelligibly expressed 

 in words. The male and female are very similar in their 

 plumage. 



The corn-crake is a summer visitant, arriving in Britain 

 about the latter end of April, the males, as is the case with 

 most summer migrants, being the first to appear no, not to 

 appear, to hide themselves, for these birds never appear if 

 they can possibly avoid it. They do not alight on the 

 shores, or flock on the open places, but make their way 

 stealthily, one cannot tell how. They do, however, diffuse 

 themselves over the whole country in very considerable 

 numbers, more of them resorting to the northern than to the 

 southern parts, and more to the cold and humid upland 

 districts, than to the more dry and warmer ones near the 

 sea. Dressing fields with lime has been known to banish the 

 crake, possibly because that species of dressing destroys the 

 worms and slugs on which they feed. 



Though the males are seldom seen on their progress to the 

 breeding grounds, they are soon heard after they arrive there. 

 Their love-song is a peculiar sort of roll of short notes, all in 

 the same key, and of the same length ; and they continue 

 that in the corn-fields, or sometimes in the tall grass, for a 

 week or two, probably till the females arrive. These come 



