THE LAND-RAIL. 
311 
having seen many on sale in Tralee dmlng the last two weeks of 
October and first week of November 1848. 
The Tringa canutus may be considered fidly as plentiful^ if not 
more so, on the shores of Ireland as on those of Scotland or 
England, though indeed very little data are supphed respecting 
its distribution in the two latter countries. Mr. Selby gives 
an interesting account of this bird from his own observation on 
the Northumbrian coast, which also is the only locality named by 
Sir Win. Jardine, in connexion with his own observation upon it. 
The knot is common to the temperate and (in summer) to the 
arctic portions both of Europe and North America. 
THE LAND-EAIL.* 
Corncrake. 
Crex pratensis, Bechst. 
Rallus or ex, Linn. 
Is a common summer bird in Ireland. 
Owing to the more humid chmate and the general prevalence of 
meadow-land, it is more equally distributed over this island than 
Great Britain. The land-rail generally appears in the neighbour- 
hood of Belfast as early as we are told it does in the southern 
counties of England ; — within the last ten days of April 
and consequently earlier than in the northern parts of that comitry, 
where its arrival is said to occur in the second week of May."’"’ J 
It was seen or heard there on the 12th of April in 1849 (a single 
bird only and no more for some time afterwards) ; on the 20th in 
1832 ; on the 21st in 1833 ; on the 22nd in 1 845 and 1848 ; on the 
24th in 1840 ; and on the 25th in 1844. About Carrickfergus, the 
corncrake has been noticed earlier. In M'SkimmiAs history of 
* Leigh, ia his ‘Natural History of Lancashire,’ informs us that “the rale is 
a bird about the bigness of a partridge, and is common in these parts ; it hides 
itself in the grass, and is discovered by the snarling noise that it continually makes ; 
it is very excellent food, and doubtless of extraordinary nutriment.” — P. 162. 
t Yarrell, ‘ Brit. Birds.’ 
t Ibid. Mr. Selby remarks : — In the north of England “ it is seldom observed 
before the beginning of May,” vol. ii. p. 177. 
