224 
RALLID/E. 
of the wall to which I have before alluded as being a favourite 
resort of this species, and there they still remain, only venturing 
forth upon the grass very early in the morning, or in calm 
bright weather. Sometimes, though rarely, one may he seen 
walking along the top of a wall ; but the slightest sound is 
always sufficient to drop it into the weeds and bushes below. 
A dog will sometimes put them up, and upon such occasions 
I have seen them fly for about a hundred yards, keeping at a 
height of twelve or fourteen feet above the ground, seldom 
higher. After having been thus disturbed, they always alight 
at some place of concealment, such as the mouth of a drain, or 
a mass of tangled herbage. They fly heavily, and seem to 
experience some difficulty in rising. On surprising one upon 
the snow and compelling it to take wing, it is easy to trace 
for a short distance the marks where the snow has been 
brushed away by the tips of the quills. 
Some years ago a bird of this species eluded my search in 
a manner as clever as it was unexpected. Having seen it 
run beneath some weeds which overhung a frozen ditch, I 
endeavoured, by walking along the ice, to drive it to one end 
where there was no shelter, and so make certain of it. Some 
fine snow had drifted beneath the weeds, and, it being easy 
to distinguish the single row of footmarks leading in the 
desired direction, I followed at a very good pace ; but just at 
the time when the bird ought to have risen at the end of the 
ditch, to my surprise there appeared a second row of footmarks, 
leading in a direction exactly opposite to the first. I turned 
and followed in all haste, but the cunning bird fairly outwitted 
me, for the track ended at the opening of a draia many yards 
beyond the point from which we had started. I afterwards 
had the curiosity to trace back the old marks, and then per- 
ceived that the bird had doubled as soon as the cover became 
insufficient ; and that, rather than expose itself to view, it had 
deliberately run into the very face of danger, passing me 
within the distance of a foot, as if fully aware that the attempt, 
though hazardous, offered the only chance of escape. 
