7^8 NESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



Keartland showed me eggs from a clutch of six, taken on King Island. 



Breeding mouths, October to December or Januaiy. 



The nest of the Little Water Crake that forms the subject of my 

 illustration was pointed out to me by Mr. G. E. Shepherd, near Somer- 

 ville, from which he took a set of four eggs, 19th November, 1896. It 

 was situated in a little swamp, which was about knee-deep, and sun-ounded 

 by tea-tree (Melaleuca J, in blossom. The nest itself was in the middle 

 of a tall tussock of " sword-gi-ass.' The nest was built up about six 

 inches from the water, the sui'face was fom- inches across the tojs, which 

 was slightly (about i inch) concave. It was composed of dead portions 

 of rushes lined with the same material, only in smaller and softer pieces. 

 There was a little entrance leading either way tlu'ough the tussock from 

 the nest. Of coiu-se the tussock had to be somewhat opened out to take 

 the photograph (see illustration). 



581. — PoRZANA TABUENsis, GmeHn. — (575) 

 SPOTLESS CRAKE. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of Australia, fol., vol. vi., pi. Sz. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xxiii., p. in. 



Previous Descriplions of Eggs. — Potts : Trans. New Zealand Inst., 

 vol. vi., p. 151 (1874) ; Campbell : Southern Science Record 

 (1883), and Nests and Kggs .\ustn. Birds, pi. 2, fig. 575 (1883), 

 also Victorian Naturalist (1889) ; Buller ; Birds of New 

 Zealand, vol. ii., p. 102 (1888) ; North : Austn. Mus. Cat., 

 app. (1890). 



Geographical DixtrUmfii)n. — Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, 

 South and West Australia and Tasmania ; also New Zealand, many 

 islands in Oceania and the Philippines. 



.Yes*. — Composed of soft, diy grass, and placed on the gi'ound ; usually 

 sheltered by a thick, drooping grass tussock. near water, svich as a stream. 



Eggx. — Clutch, four, probably more; clliptically inclined in fonn ; 

 texture of shell fine ; surface glossy ; colour, dirty or grcyish-whitc;, 

 somewhat lightly mottled all over with dull rufous or chestnut. 

 Dimensions in inches of odd examples: (1) r2 x -84, (2) 1-15 x -9. 

 (Plate 19.) 



OhxervatiijiiH. — This beautiful little Rail, with pink eyes, although 

 rare, is widely dispersed, being found in its peculiar habitat lliroughout 

 Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, &c. 



It was observed lately in a reedy swamp near Cheltenham, Victoria, 

 and was in years gone by a frequenter of the Cari-um Camim Swamp, a 

 little further south. 



The following is a picture by Mr, G. E. Sluj)li('rd, Somer\'illc, of 

 the Spotless or Tabuan Crake at home ; — " About eighteen years ago I 



