CRAKE. GRALLATORES. CREX. 177 
birds respectively frequent ; the Meadow Crake (and, in- 
deed some other species), affecting rich meadows, occasionally 
inundated by running streams; the others, the rougher 
-growth of marshy grounds or stagnant waters. Tn all other 
particulars their manners are very similar, being of an equally 
shy and timorous nature, depending for safety more upon 
the concealment afforded by the long herbage in which they 
habitually reside, and upon swiftness of foot, than on their 
power of flight, as they are with difficulty roused to the lat- 
ter expedient.—This species is a summer visitant to us, ar- Periodical 
riving in the southern and midland parts of the island in the shea 
end of April, but seldom observed in the north before the 
beginning of May. The first indication of its presence is 
given by its peculiar and well known cry of crek, crek, fre- 
quently repeated in a rough broken kind of note, not un- 
like the sound produced by drawing a stick along the teeth 
of a strong comb, and by which imitation the bird may fre- 
quently be enticed within a very short distance. This is the 
note of the male, and is continued until a mate be found and 
incubation commenced, after which it ceases. Its favourite 
resorts are rich meadow grounds, near.to rivers, lakes, &c. 
particularly such as are subject to occasional inundation. 
Upon the banks of the Trent below Newark, the meadows 
(which are of this description) are annually visited by great 
numbers of Crakes; and I have, in the course of an hour, 
killed eight or ten in a single field. They are very plentiful 
throughout Wales, the north of England, and Scotland, in 
all such low situations as afford meadows and cultivated land 
in the immediate vicinity of water. In the Highlands of 
Scotland, and the Hebrides, they also abound, and their mi- 
gration extends to the Orkney and Shetland Isles. Pennant 
remarks, that on first arriving in Anglesea they are very 
lean; but, in the midland and northern districts of England, 
I have generally found them in high condition, and, I think, 
as fat as they usually are previous to their departure in au- 
tumn. This may perhaps be accounted for on the supposi- 
VOL. II. M 
