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Islands. I have obtained specimens from the counties of Argyle, Ayr, Inverness, Perth, Moray, 

 Banff, Aberdeen, Forfar, Fife, East Lothian, Berwick, and Wigton ; also from the islands of 

 Harris, North Uist, Lewis (where it is plentiful), Skye, Mull, and Iona. It is also met with in 

 Ross and Sutherlandshires. In some of the midland and eastern counties it appears to be 

 resident all the year ; and the same, indeed, may be said of it in some of the inner islands, where 

 from the vegetation or brushwood near its haunts, it is often, when frozen out, seen running 

 about in a half-bewildered state seeking protection. At such times it may easily be captured, as 

 it seems reluctant to take flight for its own safety, even when pursued." Dr. Saxby, in his notes 

 on the ornithology of the Shetland Isles, writes, under date 31st March 1864 : — During the pre- 

 ceding winter " Water-Rails were to be seen in many parts of these islands. Upon the whole, 

 they may be considered rather scarce here ; but they have been more frequently met with this 

 year than previously. As soon as the frost sets in, they visit enclosed grounds, sometimes 

 venturing into corn-yards, and even to our very doors ; but I never find corn in their stomachs, 

 even in the most severe winter." Baikie and Heddle state also that it occurs in Orkney at all 

 seasons of the year. 



In Ireland it is common and generally distributed, being, Thompson says, permanently 

 resident throughout the island, though little known except in winter. It has not occurred in 

 Greenland ; but Professor Newton writes, it is " rare in Iceland, though apparently a resident 

 there. Faber obtained one in the north on the 23rd December 1819. Dr. Kriiper says he saw 

 two of its eggs in a collection at Reykjavik in 1856 ; and these were probably the specimens 

 which were obtained two years after by Mr. Wolley and myself, and are now in my possession. 

 M. Benguerel seems to have met with the bird, concerning which wonderful stories are told by 

 the Icelanders." 



Mr. H. C. von Miiller states that it is an annual visitant to the Faeroes. It is tolerably 

 common in Scandinavia : in Norway, Mr. Collett says, it breeds regularly in the coastal districts, 

 at least as far north as the Trondhjemsfiord, and is seen somewhat rarely also in the winter; 

 and in a note lately received, he adds that in the districts near Trondhjem alone this sporadic 

 species is met with regularly every year, and several were shot there in the autumn of 1875. 

 Some years this species occurs not unfrequently along the south-west coast. Near Bergen, for 

 instance, it was abundant even in 1869, and several individuals were shot in the course of the 

 winter. Indeed, this bird is observed as often in winter as in summer, which arises from its 

 shy habits. According to Professor Nilsson it is, generally speaking, somewhat rare in Sweden, 

 and, as a rule, is only a summer visitant, a few remaining over the winter both in Skane and 

 near Gothenburg. It is, he adds, said to be common in Dalecarlia. It has only once been 

 known with certainty to occur in Finland, the bird in question being one which was caught 

 alive, half-starved, at Helsingfors, on the 19th April 1844. 



In Russia its range is, Mr. Sabanaeff says, but imperfectly defined. It is rare in the Jaroslaf 

 Government, and is only seen in the Moscow Government on passage; but it breeds in the 

 Voronege and Orloff Governments. According to Mr. Taczanowski it is common in Poland in 

 the summer, arriving about the middle of March and leaving late in October. A few stragglers 

 remain over winter. 



Borggreve says that it occurs regularly on passage in the marshy districts of North Germany, 



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