[Illustration]
Rallus Crex, LINNÆUS; Le Rale de Cenet, ou Roi de Cailles,
BUFFON; Der Wachtelkönig, BECHSTEIN.
The corn crake being always found with quails in proportionate numbers,
departing with them in autumn, and returning at the same time in spring,
no doubt deserves the name Buffon has given it of King of the Quails. It
is ten inches in length. The beak is flattish, greyish brown above, and
bluish red beneath; the feet are lead grey; the feathers of the head, of
the back of the neck, of the back, and even of the tail, are black,
edged with reddish grey; which gives them the appearance of being
streaked; a grey ash-coloured streak passes above the eyes, another
below them; the wing-coverts and anterior quill-feathers are chestnut
brown; the front of the neck and the breast are dusky ash-grey; the
belly is white, but the sides and vent are dark brown, spotted with
rusty brown and white.
The breast of the female is pale grey, and the streaks near her eyes
greyish white.
OBSERVATIONS.--The male is often heard uttering his kind of croaking
notes, "_arrp, schnarrp_," in the meadows and fields, in the evening
and at night; but is rarely seen to fly. It feeds on insects and
grain, for which bread soaked in milk may be substituted, when it is
in the house. The female lays from eight to twelve greenish grey
eggs, streaked with pale brown, on the bare ground; the young ones,
when hatched, are covered with a kind of black down, the feathers of
varied colours do not appear for three weeks. The hen sits with so
much constancy, that she will often perish by the sithe rather than
quit her eggs. The young, like the young quails, run under the oat
sheaves, and may easily be caught there by the hand.
The agility of these birds, and their pleasing habits, render them
much admired in the house; they chirp very much like chickens. I
confess I like very much to hear the "_arrp, schnarrp_" of the male
in the evening near me.
[Illustration: THE SWAN.]