278 
FRANK FORESTER’S FIELD SPORTS. 
subject by a simple detail of facts, leaving the reader to form 
his own theory as he pleases. 
“ The Rail, or Sora, belongs to a genus of birds of which about 
thirty different species are enumerated by naturalists, and these 
are distributed on almost every region of the habitable parts of 
the earth. The general character of these is every where the 
same. They run swiftly, fly slowly and usually with the legs 
hanging down, become extremely fat, are fond of concealment, 
and whenever it is practicable, prefer running to flying. Most 
of them are migratory, and abound during the summer in cer¬ 
tain countries, the inhabitants of which have very rarely an 
opportunity of seeing them. Of this last, the Land Rail of 
Britain is a striking example. This bird, which during the 
summer months may be heard in almost every grass and clover 
field in the kingdom, uttering its common note, ‘ crek, crelcj from 
sunset to a late hour in the night, is yet unknown by sight to 
more than nine-tenths of the inhabitants. 
“ Its well-known cry, says Bewick, is first heard as soon as 
the grass becomes long enough to shelter it, and continues till 
the grass is cut, but the bird is seldom seen, for it constantly 
skulks among the thickest part of the herbage, and runs so 
nimbly through it, winding and doubling in every direction, 
that it is difficult to come near it. When hard pushed by the 
dog, it sometimes stops short and squats down, by which means 
its too eager pursuer overshoots the spot and loses the trace. 
“ It seldom springs, but when driven to extremity, and gene¬ 
rally flies with its legs hanging down, but never to a great 
distance ; as soon as it alights it runs off, and before the fowler 
has reached the spot the bird is at a considerable distance. 
“ The Water-crake, or Spotted Rail of the same country, 
which in its plumage approaches nearer to our Rail, is another 
notable example of the same general habit of the genus. Its 
common abode, says the same writer, is in low, swampy 
grounds, in which are pools or streamlets overgrown with 
willows, reeds and rushes, where it lurks and hides itself with 
great circumspection. It is wild, solitary and sly, and will 
