NESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



745 



Ef/f/s. — Clutch, eight to twelve ; oval in shape, compressed at one 

 end ; texture of shell fine ; surface glossy ; colour, dull or light greyish- 

 white, spotted and marked, chiefly in a longitudinal direction, with 

 chestnut and purplish-brown of dificrent shades. Dimensions in inches 

 of a set of three : (1) 1-46 x 1-02, (2) 144 x 1-07, (3) 1-44 x 10. These 

 eggs most resemble those of the Pectoral Rail. 



Observation.^. — It is somewhat strange that a single specimen of 

 the common Landrail, or Corn Crake of Eui'ope, should have been 

 found near Sydney. Date, June, 1893. These birds are known to 

 migrate southwai-d in winter from Eiu-ope and parts of Asia to Africa. 

 Instead of keeping to the right, the "wanderer under notice may have 

 kept too much to the left, got " bushed " in Australia, and thus made 

 a record by being added to the avi-fauna of that covmti-y. 



579. — PoEZANA FLUMiNEA, Gould. — (573) 

 SPOTTED CRAKE. 



Figure. — Gould : Birdi of Australia, fol., vol. vi., pi. 79. 

 Keference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xxiii., p. 101. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — Campbell : Victorian Naturalist 

 (18S9) ; Xlorgan : Trans. Roy. Soc, South -Australia, vol. xxii., 

 p. 193 (189S). 



Geographical Distribution. — Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, 

 South Australia and Tasmania. 



Xest. — Open, somewhat flat ; composed of green weeds, usually wet, 

 lined with soft grass and generally placed low by the side of a thick 

 tussock of grass or chunp of rushes growing in water of swampy locaUties. 

 There is a stage or track leading to the nest. 



Ef/g.s. — Clutch, foiu- to five; round oval in form; texture of shell 

 fine; siuiace glossy; colovu-, greyish or brownish-olive, blotched and 

 spotted, particularly alxiut the larger end, with red, and chiefly rich 

 piu-plish-brown of various shades. Dimensions of a clutch from 

 Tasmania: (1) 1-28 x -9, (2) 1-25 x -92, (3) 1-24 x -9, (4) 1-22 x -9. 

 (Plate 18.) A set taken in South Queensland has a Ughter ground- 

 colour — pale-olive — and is moderately marked with rounchsh blotches 

 and spots of dull-brown and purplish-brown. Dimensions : (1) 1'28 x '91, 

 (2) 1-19 X -87, (3) M7 x -89, (4) 1-19 x -88. 



Observation.^. — The splendid little Spotted Crake frequents the thick 

 herbage and reed-beds of swamps and mai'shes in eastern localities from 

 Queensland down to South Australia, including Tasmania- — one of its 

 strongholds. 



In 1889 I was indebted to Mr. E. D. Atkinson for the pleasiu'e of 

 examining and first describing fi'om his collection a set of these rare 

 and most interesting eggs, which were taken by Mr. G. K. Hinsby. 



