94. QUAIL. Coturnix communis, Bonnaterre. French, "Caille."—I have never seen the Quail in the Islands myself, and it cannot be considered more than an occasional straggler; there can be no doubt, however, that it sometimes remains to breed, as there are some eggs in the Museum which I have reason to believe are Guernsey taken, and Mr. MacCulloch writes me word that "Quails certainly visit us occasionally, and I remember having seen their eggs in my youth"; and Mrs. Jago (late Miss Cumber), who was herself a bird-stuffer in Guernsey a good many years ago, told me she had had two Quails through her hands during the time she had been stuffing; but evidently she had not had very many, nor did she think them very common, as she did not know what they were when they were brought to her, and she was some time before she found anyone to tell her. The Quail breeds occasionally, too, in Alderney, as the bird-stuffer and carpenter had some Quail's and Landrail's eggs; these he told me he had taken out of the same nest which he supposed belonged originally to the Landrail, as there were rather more Landrail's than Quail's eggs in it.
Professor Ansted includes the Quail in his list, but marks it as occurring only in Guernsey. There is a specimen in the Museum, and, as I said before, several eggs.
95. WATER RAIL. Rallus aquations, Linnaeus. French, "Râle d'eau."—The Water Rail is not very common in Guernsey, but a few occur about the Braye Pond, and in other places suited to them; and, I believe, occasionally remain to breed, as Mr. Jago, the bird-stuffer, told me he had seen a pair of Water Rails and four young, his dog having started them from a hedge near the Rousailleries farm; the young could scarcely fly. I saw one at the bird-stuffer's at Alderney, which had been shot in that Island; and the bird-stuffer told me they were common, and he believed they bred there, but he had no eggs. Their number, however, is, I think, rather increased in the autumn by migrants; at all events, more specimens are brought to the bird-stuffers at that time of year. I have before mentioned the incident of the Water Rail being killed by the Merlin, recorded by Mr. Couch in the 'Zoologist' for 1875.
The Water Rail is included in Professor Ansted's list, and marked as occurring in Guernsey and Sark. There are two specimens in the Museum.
96. SPOTTED CRAKE. Porzana maruetta, Leach. French, "Poule d'eau marouette."—I have some doubt as to the propriety of including the Spotted Crake in my list, but, on the whole, such evidence as I have been able to collect seems in favour of its being at all events occasionally seen and shot, though its small size and shy skulking habits keep it very much from general notice. Mr. MacCulloch, however, writes to me to say the Spotted Rail has been found here; and one of Mr. De Putron's labourers described a Rail to me which he had shot in the Vale Pond in May, 1877, which, from his description, could have been nothing but a Spotted Rail.
This is all the information I have been able to glean, but Professor Ansted includes it in his list, and marks it as occurring in Guernsey. There are also two pretty good specimens in the Museum, which I have no doubt were killed in Guernsey.
97. LANDRAIL. Crex pratensis, Bechstein. French, "Râle des prés," "Râle de terre" ou "de Genet," "Poule d'eau de genet."—The Landrail is a common summer visitant, breeding certainly in Guernsey, Sark, and Alderney,[[16]] and probably in Herm, though I cannot be quite so sure about the latter Island. It seems to be rather more numerous in some years than others, as occasionally I have heard them craking in almost every field. But the last summer I was in the Islands (1878) I heard very few. The Corn Crake arrives and departs much about the same time as in England, and I have never been able to find that any stay on into the winter, or even as late as November.
It is included in Professor Ansted's list, but only marked as occurring in Guernsey and Sark. There are two specimens in the Museum.
98. MOORHEN. Gallinula chloropus, Linnaeus. French, "Poule d'eau ordinaire."—I have not seen the Moorhen myself in Guernsey, but Mr. Couch, writing to me in December, 1876, told me that Mr. De Putron informed him that Coots, Waterhens, and Little Grebes bred that year in the Braye Pond; and Mr. De Putron, to whom I wrote on the subject, said the information I had received was perfectly correct. I see no reason to doubt the fact of the Moorhen occasionally breeding in Mr. De Putron's pond, and perhaps in other places in the Island, especially the Grand Mare. But I do not believe they breed regularly in either place; they certainly did not in this last summer (1878), or I must have seen or heard them. As far as Mr. De Putron's pond is concerned, I could not have helped hearing their loud call or alarm note had only one pair been breeding there; I have, however, a young bird of the year, killed in Guernsey in November, 1878.
Professor Ansted includes it in his list, and marks it as only occurring in Guernsey. There are two specimens in the Museum, probably both Guernsey killed.