The Corn-Crake. 375 
marshy grass-lands. Their cry is a peculiar roll of 
short notes, all in the same key and of the same length. 
The sound, crec, crec, crec, has been compared to the 
noise made by drawing the finger along the teeth of a 
comb. The legs of the Corn-Crake are unusually long 
for the size of the bird, and hang down while it is on 
the wing. Its flesh is greatly esteemed for its delicate 
flavour. This bird is never seen on the wing in this 
country, and is extremel}' difficult to capture ; they 
cannot be made to rise like partridges and many other 
birds, nor is it of much use to invade their cover. They 
glide through the corn, without the least perceptible 
rustle, and with wonderful rapidity, considering the size 
of the bird, and if ihe sportsman follows in the direction 
of the sound, it ceases for a while, and then, perhaps, is 
heard far in the rear ; if he follows it again, it is not 
long before the sound is heard setting in its former or 
some other direction. 
It is said by some writers that the Corn-Crake is a sort 
of natural ventriloquist, and can make his note appear 
to proceed from quite another direction than the spot in 
which he lies hid. It is probable, however, that the 
delusion arises from the astonishing swiftness with which 
the bird passes through the covers, where it is usually 
found. And as they can never be made to rise, the ob- 
server has very seldom the means of deciding whether the 
bird was in the place its cry seemed to proceed from or not. 
The nest is made in a hole in the ground, and is lined 
with dead leaves, moss, and other soft substances. There 
are generally ten, twelve, or fourteen eggs. The pecu- 
liar ciy by which the bird is recognised is only uttered 
during the period of incubation. 
Corn- Crakes are occasionally found to have a great 
fondness for water. An anecdote is related by Craven, 
in his "Young Sportsman's Manual," of a young bird of 
this species, in the possession of a Mr. Jervis, which had 
a remarkable partiality for water, in which it would 
dive and splash, as if unused to any other element. If 
the habits of this bird could be watched more closely, 
perhaps we should find that this fondness for water is 
not uncommon in its wild state. 
