RAILS LAND
,—are birds of passage, of a simply beautiful variegated plumage, in size about midway between a whole snipe and a PARTRIDGE, partaking, in an equal degree of formation, between both, in respect to the shape of the body, head, and beak, which are in a direct line of mediocrity between the two. They are found singly in different parts of England (but very thinly scattered) in the months of July, August, and September, in the standing CORN and CLOVER, but principally in the latter, where, when found, they are prejudicial to pointers, by their incessantly running, while the dog continues drawing (in a kind of walking pursuit) till patience being quite exhausted, the dog is induced to play the SPANIEL, and make a springing effort before they can be forced to take wing; when once upon which, it must be a very indifferent shot who does not bring them down. Though a very scarce bird in the centrical parts of the kingdom, (being much more plentiful in counties upon the coast,) they are exceedingly numerous in Ireland, and particularly near the capital; there they are called CORN-CREAKS, found in every standing grass-field during the months of May and June, where corn-creak shooting is in almost equal practice with PARTRIDGE or SNIPE shooting in this country.