180 
SHAMMING DExVTH. 
Let us imagine ourselves strolling over these flowery pastures that 
skirt the sandy shores of the Hebrides, anticipating the rising of the 
sun, and listening, as we proceed in the grey twilight, to the cries of 
the distant Gulls, and the loud crash of the little rivulet, whose fall 
on the sandy beach produces, it seems, a louder noise in the perfect 
calm than the rushing of the mighty billow would do in a storm. 
The bleating cry of the Snipe is heard on the hill side, and abeady 
has the Lark sprung from its sandy couch to warble its merry notes 
over the cornfield. Here let us crouch behind the turf wall, in view 
of that thicket of iris, and watch the Crakes, which I have often 
seen resort to it. There already, dimly seen, one is quietly walking 
along the grassy ridge, lifting high foot after foot, and sometimes 
stooping as if to pick up something. Now it stops, stands in a- 
crouching posture, but on unbent legs, and commences its curious 
but monotonous song. Another is observed threading its way 
among the short grass of the adjoining piece of meadow-land. Tho 
ruddy streaks in the east betoken the sun's approach to the horizon. 
There along the tide-mark some dark-coloured bird approaches ; it 
perceives us, wheels roimd, and comes up, announcing itself by its 
croak as the Hooded Crow. The Crakes seem to understand the 
warning, and immediately betake themselves to the thicket, whence 
we can easily start them. Yet they sometimes allow you to come 
within a yard or two before they rise, and so closely do they sit 
that I have once or twice seen a small pointer, which I had 
trained to bird-nesting, spring upon and seize one. 
Jesse, in his remarks on this bird, says: — 
I have met with an incident in the natural history of the Corn- 
crake, which I believe is perfectly accurate, having been informed 
the bird will put on the semblance of death, when exposed to 
danger from which it is unable to escape. The incident was this : 
A gentleman had a Corncrake brought to him by his dog, to all 
appearance quite dead. As it lay on the ground, he turned it over 
with his foot, and was convinced it was dead. Standing by it, however, 
in silence, he suddenly saw it open an eye. He then took it up; its 
head fell, its legs hung loose, and it appeared again quite dead. ' Ho 
then put it into his pocket, and before long he felt it all alive, and strug- 
gling to escape. He then took it out ; it was as lifeless as before. 
Having laid it again upon the ground, and retired to some distance, 
the bird in about five minutes warily raised its .head, looked 
round, and decamped at full speed. I have seen a similar cir- 
cumstance take place with a Partridge ; and it is well known that 
many insects will practise the same deception. 
In some parts of Scotland it is believed that this bird 
does not leave the coimtry, but hybernates or becomes 
torpid during the winter, when it is certain that solitary 
