3S2 



ALfc;CT()|{II)KS«. 



iij 



HiKl' 



llllli^t 



iilii 



'. :'! 



II' 



rc^'iiiii, wliilt! ; loreiicck ami breast pale iliali, liiij,'(il with k^' ; nidcs nml ciisHHiii lraiisvci«ilv 

 liaiulcil with liiiiwii ami wliilc. Vinnifj : Similar, Ijii! willKnil any •^vi\\ mi the licail. Iioinm 

 ijiiiniij: riiil'iirm dark sdciiy lnowii, llic liuail lilackisli ; l)ill uiiilmiu liiisky, or iiait: lii'dwiiifli ; 

 ills lirciwii; li'^'i ami l( it " Miiisli licsli-folor" in lilu (Macuuj.ivhav), pale lirowiuHJi in drii'cl 

 skins. Tolal Icmj,'!!!, al.mil lOMKi-lO.TiO ; extent, 17.(M>-lS.(i(t ; win^, r)."lMi.O(l ; eulnien, .«')-.!)( i ; 

 tarsus, l.r)0-l.(i(» ; niiddlc toe, l.;i(». 



Till" liiiiid-lviiil, or ('(irn-Ci'iikr <if Kiimjic, is ;i I'c.miial' visitiuit in sunimcr ol' (irccn 

 l;iii(l, wlR'i't' it lirct'ds, iind is tlicuec ii stnij;:^drr to our J']iist('rii Athintio cofist. as i'lir 

 soutii as \a)\\>^ Island. Its apiicarancc in New Kni^laiid, tiuiufr'i jirobahly occasional, 

 liu.s lu'vcr — that 1 am aware — been actually detected. It is credited as occurring' in 

 JJerniuda. 



In (Jreat IJritain, aeeordin;,' to Varrell, it is a eoinmon sunimer visitor, niakinj,' its 

 a])|)carauce in the southern counties oi' lOnijlanil ilurini,' the last ten days oi' .\pril. 

 i)ut in V(ukshire and farther north, not until the second week in May. It usuallv 

 leaves the IJritish Islands in October, hut sin},de individuals have been met with iis 

 late as Deci'mln'r ami .lanuary. It is common in the valleys in Scotland, and abnn 

 dant on the Orkney and Shetland Islands. It visits Denmark, S\ve(h'n, and Morway. 

 ^'oing as I'ar north as the L*'aroe Islands and Iceland. It is abundant over the entire 

 European continent, and has been binnil in winter in Asia Minor. It is mentioned 

 by Dr. Ueintdven among the birds oi' Madeira, and its a|i|)earani'e has been noted in 

 its sjjring migrations in .Malta, Sicily, and .Vlgiers. It is inidmh'd among the birds 

 of >.'orthorn .\sia in I'allas's •• Zoograjdiia Hosso-Asiatiea." 



.Major Wedderburn states that on the L'^tli of Oet(d)er, 1847, he shot a singli' 

 specimen on the I'endiroke ^larsh, llermnda. A notice of this "ran; occurrence " 

 was sent at the time to the '• Zixdogi.st," 1849. and the sjieeimen given to .Mr. Varrell, 

 from whose colloetion it jiassed into that of C(doncd J)nimnioiul. 



In Europe this species is said to fre([>u'nt the long grass of marshy wator-moadows 

 near rivers, beds of osiers or reeds, and titdds of green grain, where its ])rescnce is in- 

 dicated by its creaking note; and hence one of its name.s, that of Corn-Crake or Coni- 

 Creak, by whiidi latter name it is known in Ireland. This note can be so nearly 

 imitated by passing the tlnnnb-nail along the teeth of a cond), that the bird can be 

 decoj'ed within a very short distance by the sound thus ])ro(luced. This call is tlic 

 love-note of the male, and is continned until a mate is found. After the season 

 of incid)ation it is seldom heard. If ke])t in continement the Land-Hail, besides 

 this call-note, utters a low guttural sound whenever it is disturbed or sudilenly 

 alarmed. 



The food of the Covn-Crake is said to consist of sings, snails, worms, small lizards, 

 and insects, with portions of vegetable matter and a few seeds. Its nest is phu;ed on 

 the ground, and is formed of dry jdants. A field of green grain, thick grass, or elovci' 

 is generally the situation that is ehosen. The nundii>r of the eggs is said to be from 

 seven to ten ; and these, in England, are laid about the michUe of June. The youni;. 

 when first hatched, are covered with down, of a black e(dor, but soon accpiire their 

 first feathers, and are able to fly in about six weeks. 



It is related by Daniel — as (pioted by Yarrell — that in 1808 as some men were 

 mowing grass, u])(m a little island belonging to the fishing water of Low Bells, on the 

 Tweed, they cut off the head of a (Jorn-Crake whicdi was sitting on eleven eggs. 

 About twenty yards from the sjjot they found a Cartridge sitting upon eighteen eggs. 

 The mowers took the eggs from the nest of tin; Corn-Crake and put them in that ol 

 the Partridge. Two days later she bi'ought out the entire brood of twenty-nine, all 

 of which were seen running about the island. The Partridge took care of them all, 



