BILCOCK. 



33 



having- black legs, and bill or beak, and feathers black and white, 

 spotted in such manner as our magpie, called in some places pie-annes, 

 which the people of Lancashire call by no other name than treegoose ; 

 which place aforesaid, and all those places adjoining, do so much abound 

 therewith ; that one of the best is bought for threepence. For the 

 truth hereof, if any doubt, may it please them to repair to me, and I 

 will satisfy them by the testimonies of good witnesses." 1 



Even of late years an attempt was made to impose upon the credulity 

 of the public, by an exhibition in London of a large collection of. the 

 bernacle shells, from which, as the advertisements stated, the bernacle 

 geese were produced. 2 * 



BILCOCK (Rallus aquaticus, Linn-Sus.) 



Rallus aquaticus, Linn. Syst. 1. p. 162. 2.—Gmel. Syst. 2. p. 712.— Rail, Syn. 

 p. 113, A. 2.— Ib. 190. 12.— W ill. p. 234. t. 56.— Ind. Orn. 2. p. 755. 1.— 

 Briss. 5. u. 151. 1. 1. 12. f. 2.— Ib. 8vo. 2. p. 251.— Gallina serica Gesneri, Raii, 

 Syn. p. 114. 4 1— Will. p. 235.— Le Rale d'eau, Buff. 8. p, 154. t. 13.— Temm. 

 2. p. 683.— Velvet Runner, Will. Angl. p. 313 1— Water Rad, Bilcock, Brook 

 Ouzel, Br. Zool. 2. No. 214. t.75.— Ib. fol. 130. t. E. E. — Will. (Angl.) p. 314. 

 — Albin, 1. t. 11.— Lath. Syn. 5. p. 227. 1.— Gen. Hist. 11. p. 367.— Lewin, 

 Br. Birds, 5. t. 189.— Wale. Syn. 2. t. 171.— Pult. Cat. Dorset, p. 15.— Don. 

 Br. Birds, 5. t. 104 Flem. Br. Anim. p. 98. 



Provincial. — Runner. Grey-skit. Skiddy-cock. 



The length of this bird is about twelve inches ; weight four ounces 

 and a half. Bill an inch and three quarters long, of a dusky colour, 

 reddish at the base of the upper and greater part of the lower mandible ; 

 irides red. The whole upper part of the plumage is of an olive-brown, 

 the middle of each feather black ; beneath, from chin to vent, deep ash- 

 colour, mixed with brown on the lower belly and vent ; on the sides, 

 about the thighs, there are several transverse bars of black and white ; 

 quills dusky ; tail short and black, covered by the feathers above ; under 

 tail coverts white ; legs reddish brown ; toes long and slender, divided 

 to their origin. In some there are a few feathers at the elbow of the 

 wing on the coverts that are barred black and white, and the tail feathers 

 margined with brown ; the middle ones wholly olivaceous brown. 

 Others have the feathers on the fore part of the neck margined with 

 white. But the last variety, as mentioned by other authors, we believe 

 is more rare. The only difference between the sexes is, the bill of the 

 male being longer and more red. 



The rail is by no means a plentiful species, but is sometimes found 

 throughout most parts of England in low situations, about water-courses 



1 Gerard's Herbal, ed. 1633, supe fin. 2 Bingley's Animal Biogr. iv. 305. 



D 



