THE LAND-RAIL. 829 



Characters. — No subspecies. Buff under -parts, chestnut wing- 

 coverts and absence of white marks on upper-parts distinguish it 

 from other British Crakes. 



Field -Characters. — Haunts rough pastures and low-lying 

 meadows, where its compressed body enables it to travel quickly 

 through growing grass. If hard pressed will fly sluggishly for a few 

 yards with dangling legs, when its yellowish-buff body-plumage 

 and chestnut wings are unmistakable, but the presence of this 

 skulking bird is usually revealed by call of male, a loud rasping- 

 dissyllabic and long maintained " aerp-aerp," uttered in spring and 

 early summer by day and night. Other notes are growling and 

 grunting cries, and when young are threatened a piercing hawk-like 

 scream of defiance. 



Breeding-habits. — Haunts grassy meadows and in north pastures 

 but not cornfields. Nest. — In long grass or rank weeds, nettles, flags, 

 etc., where grass provides insufficient cover, consisting of a pad of 

 dead grasses. Eggs. — Usually 8 to 12 but 13, 14, and even 18 on 

 record ; pale greenish -grey to light reddish -brown in ground with 

 spots and blotches of warm red-brown and ashy-grey. Average of 

 100 eggs, 37.26X26.75. Max. : 41.6x25.9 and 38.3x29. Min. : 

 34x25 and 34.3x24.1 mm. Breeding -season. — During second half 

 May and early June, but fresh eggs have been found late in July 

 and even in August. Incubation. — By female alone. Period 17 

 days (in confinement). Probably single brooded normally ; late 

 dates may be due to destruction of early clutches. 



Pood.- — Mainly animal matter though seeds of rushes and Spergula 

 and fragments of weed have been recorded. Insects, including 

 coleoptera (weevils, longicorn beetles, etc.) ; diptera and their eggs 

 and orthoptera (Forficula, Acridium, etc.) ; also arachnid a (Epeira) ; 

 mollusca (Helix and Limax) ; horse-leech (Hirudo) and Julus 

 terrestris. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Summer-resident and passage- 

 migrant 3rd week April to end May (early dates March 14, 1911, 

 Glamorgan ; Mar. 21, 1911, Somerset) ; 4th week Aug. to end Oct., 

 and often Nov., while one or two recorded in winter most years, es- 

 pecially Ireland and O. Hebrides. Widely distributed in summer even 

 to remote islands but has much decreased in England and is now 

 scarce as breeding-bird from Devon to Lines., including south-east 

 midlands (and especially so in E. Anglia and south coast counties) ; 

 decreased south Wales, west of England, midlands to foot of 

 Pennines and Yorks. moors, but throughout Pennine region and to 

 west of it decrease scarcely appreciable (cf. Brit. B., viii, pp. 83-92). 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Greater part of Europe, from Scandi- 

 navia, Fseroes to Pyrenees, North Italy, and Macedonia, eastwards 

 to Russia, W. Siberia, Lena, and central Asia, in winter in Africa. 

 Arabia, and (rare) N. India. Casual Madeira, Canary Is., L^nited 

 States, Greenland, Bermudas, once Australia, once New Zealand. 



