Museum.

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, "Rale 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 ha