RAIL. 29 



hanging down; become extremely fat; are fond of concealment; 

 and, wherever it is practicable, prefer running to flying. Most of 

 them are migratory, and abound during the summer in certain 

 countries, the inhabitants of which have very rarely an opportunity 

 of seeing them. Of this last the Land Rail of Britain is a striking 

 example. This bird, which during the summer months may be 

 heard in almost every grass and clover field in the kingdom, ut- 

 tering its common note Crek^ crek^ from sunset to a late hour in 

 the night, is yet unknown, by sight, to more than nine-tenths of 

 the inhabitants. " Its well known cry,'^ says Bewick, " is first 

 heard as soon as the grass becomes long enough to shelter it, and 

 continues till the grass is cut; but the bird is seldom seen, for it 

 constantly skulks among the thickest part of the herbage, and runs 

 so nimbly through it, winding and doubling in every direction, 

 that it is difficult to come near it; when hard pushed by the dog, 

 it sometimes stops short, and squats down, by which means its 

 too eager pursuer overshoots the spot, and loses the trace. It sel- 

 dom springs but when driven to extremity, and generally flies with 

 its legs hanging down, but never to a great distance ; as soon as it 

 alights it runs off", and before the fowler has reached the spot the 

 bird is at a considerable distance."* The Water Crake ^ or Spot- 

 ted Rail of the same country, which in its plumage approaches 

 nearer to our Rail, is another notable example of the same general 

 habit of the genus. " Its common abode," says the same writer, 

 " is in low swampy grounds, in which are pools or streamlets over- 

 grown with willows, reeds and rushes, where it lurks and hides 

 itself with great circumspection ; it is wild, solitary and shy, and 

 will swim, dive or skulk under any cover, and sometimes suffer it- 

 self to be knocked on the head, rather than rise before the sports- 

 man and his dog." The Water Rail of the same country is equally 

 noted for the like habits. In short, the whole genus possess this 

 strong family character in a very remarkable degree, 



Bewick's British Birds, vol. i, p. 308. 

 VOL. VI. H 



