382 ALECTORIDBS. 



region, white; foreneck and breast pale drab, tinged with gray; sides and crissuni transversely 

 banded with brown and white. Young: Similar, but without any gray on the head. Downy 

 young : Uniform dark sooty brown, the head blackish ; bill uniform dusk}', or pale brownish ; 

 iris brown; legs and feet " bluish ilesh-color" in life (Macgillivrav), pale brownish in dried 

 skins. Total length, about 10.00-10.50 ; extent, 17.00-18.00 ; wing, 5.70-6.00 ; culmen, .85-.90 ; 

 tarsus, 1.50-1.60 ; middle toe, 1.30. 



The Land-Eail, or Corn-Crake of Europe, is a regular visitant in sitmmer of Green- 

 land, where it breeds, and is thence a straggler to our Eastern Atlantic coast, as far 

 south as Long Island. Its ajjpearance in New England, though probably occasional, 

 has never — that I am aware — been actually detected. It is credited as occurring in 

 Bermuda. 



In Great Britain, according to Yarrell, it is a common summer visitor, making its 

 appearance in the southern counties of England during the last ten days of April, 

 but in Yorkshire and farther north, not until the second week in Maj'. It usually 

 leaves the British Islands in October, but single individuals have been met with as 

 late as December and January. It is common in the valleys in Scotland, and abun- 

 dant on the Orkney and Shetland Island.s. It visits Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, 

 going as far north as the Faroe Islands and Iceland. It is abundant over the entire 

 European continerit, and has been found in winter in Asia Jlinor. It is mentioned 

 by Dr. Heineken among the birds of Madeira, and its appearance has been noted in 

 its sjjring migrations in Malta, Sicily, and Algiers. It is included among the birds 

 of Northern Asia in Pallas's " Zoographia Rosso-Asiatica." 



Major Wedderburn states that on the 25th of October, 1847, he shot a single 

 sjjecimen on the Pembroke Marsh, Bermuda. A notice of this " rare occurrence " 

 was sent at the time to the " Zoologist," 18-19, and the specimen given to Mr. Yarrell, 

 from whose collection it passed into that of Colonel Drummond. 



In Europe this species is said to frequent the long grass of marshy water-meadows 

 near rivers, beds of osiers or reeds, and fields of green grain, where its presence is in- 

 dicated by its creaking note ; and hence one of its names, that of Corn-Crake or Corn- 

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

 imitated by passing the thumb-nail along the teeth of a comb, that the bird can be 

 decoyed within a very short distance by the sound thus jiroduced. This call is the 

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

 of incubation it is seldom heard. If kejit in continement the Land-Eail, besides 

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

 alarmed. 



The food of the Corn-Crake is said to consist of slugs, snails, worms, small lizards, 

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

 the ground, and is formed of dry plants. A field of green grain, thick grass, or clover 

 is generally the situation that is chosen. The number of the eggs is said to be from 

 seven to ten ; and these, in England, are laid about tlie middle of June. The young, 

 when first hatched, are covered with down, of a black color, but soou acquire their 

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



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

 mowing grass, upon a little island belonging to the fishing water of Low Bells, on the 

 Tweed, they cut off the head of a Corn-Crake which was sitting on eleven eggs. 

 About twenty yards from the spot they found a Partridge sitting upon eighteen eggs. 

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

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

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



