86 EGGS OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



and blotched over the entire surface with darker brown, and 

 occasionally a few small very dark brown specks. Some specimens 

 have the markings more numerous at the large end, where they 

 form an ill-defined mass. They vary from 13 to 12 inch in 

 length, and from 0'9 to 0"85 inch in breadth. Eggs of this species 

 closely resemble those of Baillon's Crake, but are larger — the 

 character of the markings is also very similar. 



THE AVATER-RAIL. 



(Ballus aquations.) 



Plate 22, Fig. 3. 



The Water-rail is found throughout Great Britain in localities 

 suited to its skulking habits. It is a partial migrant, being most 

 common in summer in some districts, in others in winter. 



It is generally distributed throughout Europe and is resident 

 in most countries, extending eastward as far as Turkestan, the 

 northern limit of its breeding range being 63° in Scandinavia, and 

 the latitude of Riga in Russia. 



The nesting-season commences early, and eggs have been found 

 in the first week in April. A nest which I found in the Norfolk 

 Broads was admirably concealed, and was placed about a foot 

 from the ground, but it had a solid foundation under it, formed 

 by the roots of the clump of rushes in the midst of which 

 it was built. It was carefully made of flat sedge and the flat 

 leaves of the reed, lined with dry broken pieces of round slender 

 roots. 



The number of eggs laid by the Water-rail varies from five to 

 eleven, but from five to seven appears to be the usual number. 

 They are very smooth, but do not exhibit much gloss, and are 

 pale buff or huffy-white in ground-colour, sparingly spotted and 

 speckled with reddish-brown surface-markings and violet-grey 

 underlying ones. The spots are seldom larger than No. 6 shot, 

 and are most abundant on the large end of the egg, where they 

 sometimes congregate into a confluent mass. The underlying 

 spots are as numerous as the surface ones, and on some eggs 

 predominate, while in exceptional specimens a few of the spots 

 are as large as peas. The length varies from 15 to 1'28 inch, 

 and the breadth from 109 to 98 inch. 



