in the vicinity of fmall running dreams that are overgrown 

 with grafs or fedge* where it feeks both food and fhelter \ it 

 runs with fpeed through the thiekefl grafs, or on the foft 

 ilimy mud on the margins of ponds, which eafily fufiain its 

 weight owing to the extent of furface occupied by its toes \. 

 in fii allow water it wades without fwimming y it fwims and 

 dives with confidcrable dexterity ; is but rarely ron fed to take, 

 wing, as it depends on its legs for efcape from danger ; when- 

 on wing it flies with very great exertion, and only to a fhort 

 diftance, with its legs hanging down, and is then an eafy. 

 mark for the fportfman ; when, running it is continually; 

 flirting up its tail. 



This bird builds among the thicker! tufts of reeds or ru mes ;, 

 the nelt is compofed of coarfe grafs, fedge, reeds, and decayed 

 willow leaves, thickly put together; it lays five or fix eggs 

 44 of a fpotlefs white, very fmooth, rather larger than thofe 

 of a blackbird 5 the Ihape is a fhort oval, with both ends nearly 

 alike the young ones begin to provide for themfelves almofl 

 as foon as hatched, quitting the parents and neft in a few hours \, 

 their principal food is flugs, worms, infects, and fmall fifh ; 

 when full grown on the failure of animal, they take vegetable 

 food, fuch as the roots and feeds of aquatic plants ; in the 

 winter feafon they will fometimes venture upon cultivated land, 

 particulary turnip fields. It has been confidered a migrative 

 fpecies, but we doubt whether it makes more than partial 

 migrations in fearch of food ; we had one fent to us at 

 Chriftmas, which had a fhelt near an inch and a quarter 

 lo g in its ftomach, from which circumftance we conceive 

 it propable this fpecies reforts to the fea-fhore during fever©, 

 weather, 



