66 THE GAME BIRDS AND WILD FOWL 



was shot near Newbury, in Berks, on the River Kennet. It was 

 exhibited at a meeting of the Zoological Society on Feb. 14th, 

 1865, by Professor Newton {Proc. Zool. Soc. 1865, p. 196). 

 Naturalists, for some inscrutable reason, decline to admit the 

 Carolina Crake as an established British species, but the known 

 wandering habits of birds of this family, in addition to the fact of 

 its occurrence in Greenland, is strong evidence in its favour of 

 having reached our islands voluntarily. 



Time during which the Spotted Crake may be taken. 



— August I St to March ist; otherwise by authority of owner or 

 occupier of land. 



Habits. — The Spotted Crake is another late migrant to our 

 islands, apparently delaying its arrival until the cover it frequents 

 is sufficiently dense to afford it ample concealment. It usually 

 arrives in May, and leaves us again in October, but it would 

 appear that odd individuals occasionally remain behind and 

 spend the winter with us. The haunts of the Spotted Crake are 

 fens, marshes, and bogs — places where there is plenty of cover, in 

 the shape of reeds, rushes, flags, and other aquatic vegetation, 

 and plenty of water in stagnant pools. Here, like all its kindred, 

 the Spotted Crake skulks close amongst the cover, only venturing 

 out on to the more open spaces when all is still, especially at night, 

 and hurrying back to its marshy fastnesses the moment it is 

 threatened by danger. Although excessively loth to take wing, it 

 is occasionally compelled to do so, and it will then be observed 

 to fly in a slow and laboured manner close to the ground, with 

 legs hanging down, and ready to drop into the first hkely spot 

 where it can conceal itself. When hard pressed, either by man 

 or dogs, it will sometimes take refuge in a hedge, or amongst 

 briars, just like the Corn Crake will do. In spite of its abundance 

 in some locahties it is very rarely seen. It sometimes leaves its 

 reedy haunts at dusk, and may then be seen swimming across 

 the open pools of calm water from one thicket to another, or 

 threading its way shadow-like through the herbage. It is a most 

 unsociable species. The call-note of the Spotted Crake is a 

 rather liquid whit. Its food consists of worms, small snails, and 

 insects, especially beetles, the tender buds and shoots of herbage, 

 and small seeds. 



