388 
BIRD-LIFE. 
many birds cover considerable distances of their route to 
the south and back, by swimming and running. All Divers, 
Grebes, and Cormorants, use such rivers, lakes, and seas, 
as lay in the right direction for the purposes of migration 
as much as possible. They have been observed to ascend 
and descend rivers without abandoning the surface of the 
water for any great length of time. Inasmuch as they 
are excellent swimmers, such a mode of travelling is 
rapid enough for them, and has the advantage of enabling 
them to feed on such fish, insects, or other aquatic crea¬ 
tures, as they may meet with on the way. Water is to 
them a high road, upon which they may pursue their 
usual calling. 
It is much the same with running migrants. It is 
true we have had but few opportunities of observing 
this latter class, but at the same time we cannot doubt but 
that they prefer using their powerful legs to exercising 
their limited means of flight, so long as this is possible. 
The Landrail, whose croaking note we so often hear in 
our meadows and corn-fields during the spring, is ever 
shy of taking wing, and is rarely seen unless flushed by 
an active dog; and yet I have met with this bird in 
Spain and Egypt, aye, even in the interior of Africa in 
12° North latitude, and then only during the season of 
migration. How could the creature ever have got there, 
had it not rather walked than flown, for in good truth it 
can scarcely be said to fly at all! Our Quail is also to 
be met with at the same season in Spain, Greece, 
Egypt, and Kordovan. One may see immense flights 
of these birds arrive on the coast from over the sea, 
and yet I have never met with a migrating flock of 
these birds in the interior of Africa, though I have been 
on the look out for them both by day and night. Quails 
