BRITISH BIRDS. 
1 1 
dirty white and yellow. The colour of the plumage 
of all the upper parts is dulky and olive brown ^ 
fpottedj edgedj barred or flreaked with white : the 
fpots on the wing coverts are furrounded with blacky 
which gives them a iludded or pearly appearance ; 
and the white bars and ftreaks on the fcapulars 
and tertials form a beautiful contrail to the black 
ground of the feathers on thefe parts. The legs 
are of a yellowiih green. The Water Crake in its 
figure and general appearance, though much lefs, 
is extremely like the Corn Crake or Land Rail ; 
but its manners and habits are very different. Its 
common abode is in low, fwampy grounds, in 
which are pools or ilreamlets, overgrown with wil- 
lows, reeds, and ruihes, where it lurks and hides 
itfelf with great circumfpeffion : it is wild, foli- 
tary, and fliy, and will fwim, dive, or ikulk under 
any cover; and fometimes, it is faid, will fuffer 
itfelf to be knocked on the head, rather than rife 
before the fportfman and his dog. The fpecies 
is very fcarce in Great Britain, and from its ex- 
treme vigilance it is rarely to be feen. It is fup- 
pofed to be migratory here, as well as in France 
and Italy, where it is found early in the fpring ; it 
is alfo met with in other parts of Europe, but no 
where in great numbers. The conformation of its 
neft is curious : it is made of ruihes and other light 
buoyant materials, woven and matted together, fo 
as to float on, and to rife or fail with the ebbing or 
B 2 
