BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 419 



Xittle Craftc. 





The Little Crake {Crex parva, Scopoli) is a rare irregular 

 spring and autumn migrant to the British Islands, and 

 inhabits the Western Palearctic Region. The adult male 

 has the crown of the head, hind neck, and upper parts, 

 olivaceous-brown ; centre of back, streaked broadly with 

 black, and spotted here and there with white ; both webs of 

 quills, clove-brown ; forehead, cheeks, sides of neck, and 

 remainder of under parts, bluish-grey, with small spots of 

 white on the thighs, vent, and under tail-coverts ; rectrices, 

 with dark centres ; irides, red ; bill, green, reddish at base ; 

 legs and feet, green. Length, about eight inches. In the 

 adult female the eye is surrounded with light grey; throat, 

 whitish; neck, breast, and abdomen, washed with buff; 

 flanks, brown, with transverse bars of white. 



