274 THE EIRDS OF DEVOX. 



the adjacent heather. Indeed, we saw the head and neck of one raised 

 from out a tump as we drove slowly by, greatly diverted by the scene. 



At the end of August and in the beginning of September the young 

 birds are extremely tame and foolish, although fully grown. We have 

 seen a whole brood permit themselves to be taken up by the hand, one 

 after another, when the setters have been standing them in the heather. 

 Blackgame are also very fond of getting into standing corn, where they 

 will also lie very close. The old Blackcocks are always shy and wary, and 

 keep apart by themselves, sometimes flying up into a thick- fob aged tree, 

 where they are perfectly concealed, and whence it is difficult to dislodge 

 them. Later in the season the birds pack and are so wild as to be un- 

 approachable except by stalking them, or by getting shots at them in the 

 covers. 



Hybrids between the Black Grouse and the Pheasant have been ob- 

 tained near Plymouth and Tavistock (E. M., Mag. Xat. Hist. 1S37). 

 Bellamy mentions three instances (Xat. Hist. S. Devon, p. 209, note). 

 The Picv. W. S. Hore had two handsome hybrids between the cock Pheasant 

 and Greyhen, which were purchased in the market at Devonport at 

 different dates (W. S. H. in Hit., and Zool. 1861, p. 7545 ; cf. Yarrell's 

 B. Birds, 4th ed. pp. 69-72). Mr, J. Gatcombe also obtained one 

 October 21tth, 1S78, in Plymouth Market, and another, a young male, in the 

 same jjlace in October lbb'6 (Zool, lb/ 9, p, 60, 1884, p, 54). 



Order FULICARLE. 



Family RALLID^. 



THE EAILS. 



The family of the Rails which, we are told, take their 

 name from the harshness of their notes, from the old 

 Dutch rallen, short for ratelen, to rattle, includes some 

 very familiar birds, such as the Land-Eail, Moor-hen, 

 and Coot — the two last resident throughout the year, and. 

 to be seen on every pond and lake, and by every river and 

 stream, where there is sufficient cover of sedge, rush, or 

 bramble to afford them shelter and concealment ; Avhile 

 the first is a common spring migrant, whose harsh cry 

 sounds from the meadows nearly all day and night in the 

 early summer, and must have been heard by evervone who 



