ALIX'TORIDHS KALMDl. 319 



liill olive green, brighter below, and red at base. Legs and feet 

 brownish green. Wing ($ 102-111, $ 98-107. Tarsus 28-32. 

 i;ill r6-i8. 9 Underparts buff, flanks and under tail coverts brown 

 Ix'irred white. Young has outer web of ist primary wliile, but is 

 known from Baillon's Crake by size. 



/)V<rr</j.— From Holland, N. Germany, and 59' N. in Russia 

 south throughout Europe ; Algeria and Tunisia (possibly) ; also 

 W. Asia. Migrates; winters chiefly in Mediterranean Basin and 

 S.W. Asia to India. Of occasional occurrence in British Isles, 

 Canaries, and Azores. 



Crex. 

 Bill shorter than head, high, and compressed sideways ; 

 tarsus about equal to middle toe and claw. Affects drier 

 localities than other "Rallid?e"; nest a shallow depression on 

 ground ; eggs huffy white, blotched and spotted with rufous. 



Crex crex (L.). Corn-Crake. Fr. Rale des pres ; Ger. 

 Wachtelkonig ; J/al. Re di quaglie ; Swed. Angsknarr. 



o $ Above l^lackish brown, marked with greyish and 

 reddish ochrcous ; quills rufous; wing coverts rusty; sides of 

 head blue grey, lores and a stripe behind eye brown, chin white, 

 underparts white, under tail coverts marked reddish brown, flanks 

 rufous with white bars. Bill dark brown. Legs and feet greyish 

 brown. Wing 134-146. (? generally the smaller.) Tarsus 38-41. 

 Bill 16-19. 



Breeds. — Faroes (exceptional), British Isles, Continental 

 Europe from Arctic Circle in Norway and Sweden, 65" in Finland 

 and N. Russia and 60'^ in Urals, south to Pyrenees, N. Italy and 

 Macedonia ; also in W. Asia. Migratory ; passes through S. 

 Europe and N. Africa ; winters in Africa south to Cape Colony ; 

 occasional birds winter N. Africa and even Europe, as far north as 

 Germany and Britain. 



Gallinula. 

 Frontal plate well devek)i)ed ; nares in a groove; toes 

 lung, middle toe longer than tarsus ; less shy than true Rails, 

 swim easily, often perch ; nest bulky, of flags and leaves on 

 ur near l>ank, often among reeds; eggs clay yellow, marked 

 and blotched with violet grey and reddish brown. 



