THE LAGGING LANDRAIL 157 



harvest the first dullness of autumn bids them go. 



The pigeons remain to continue their feasts of corn. 



Their cooing from the recesses of the 



Turtle- beeches suggests a well-fed laziness. Great 



Dove's feeders as they are, they stuff their crops to 

 Summer , .. . . , ., . . . 



bursting-point, and nothing vegetarian or 



fruitarian seems to come amiss to them whether 

 the greens of root -crops, acorns, beech-mast, clover, 

 the sown peas, dandelion leaves, sainfoin, anemone 

 roots, charlock, beech buds, the seeds of bluebells, wild 

 strawberries, oak-galls, or corn in all its stages. Turtle- 

 doves pay little attention to corn till harvest-time ; 

 the seeds of charlock and of other noxious plants are 

 a greater attraction. Though they fly with wood- 

 pigeons a great deal, their diet is different, and they 

 seem to come to ponds to drink more often than the 

 pigeons, perhaps because some of their favourite 

 foods, such as charlock seeds, are hot and thirst - 

 producing. They are among the farmer's best 

 friends. 



Whenever we flush a landrail we wonder that so 



slovenly a bird should be able to cross seas in migra- 



tion. One doubts its ability to cross a 



The wide river. Those who for the first time 



T 5 0*0*111 P*" 



Landrail see a lan( *rail rise might be excused for 



supposing it to be wounded the long 



legs trail at full length, hardly clearing the 



heads of the clover which forms its favourite 



