196 Crakes. 



ditch of the highway hedge, not forty yards from the 

 orchard ha-ha. There was a thick growth of tall 

 grass, clogweed, and other plants jnst there, and 

 some of the bushes pushed out oyer the sward. 

 The nest was placed close to the ditch (not in it), 

 and the noise the crakes made was something as- 

 tonishing. ' Crake, crake, crake ! ' resounded the 

 moment it was light — and it is hght early at that 

 season : ' Crake, crake, crake ! ' all the morning ; 

 the sound now and then, if the bird moved a few 

 yards nearer, echoing back from some of the build- 

 ings. There was, or seemed to be, a slight cessation 

 in the middle of the day, but towards evening it 

 recommenced, and continued without cessation till 

 quite dark. This lasted for some weeks : it chanced 

 that the meadow was mown late, so that the birds 

 were undisturbed. Why so apparently timid a bird 

 should choose a spot near a dwelling is not eas}' to 

 understand. 



The crakes, however, when thus localized deceived 

 no one by their supposed ventriloquial powers ; there- 

 fore it seems clear that the deception is caused by 

 their rapid changes of position. The mouse in like 

 manner often gives an impression that it must be in 

 one spot when it is really a yard away, the shrill 

 squeak, as it were, left behind it. It is not easy 

 sometimes to fix the position of the death-tick in 

 woodwork. The home-field or meadow here is a 

 favorite haunt of the crakes, for like all other birds 

 the}^ have their special places of resort. Another 

 meadow, at some distance on the same farm, is 

 equall}^ favored by them. This meadow adjoins 

 that second line of bird-travel, following a brook 



