CORNCRAKE OR LAND-RAIL. 325 



Little Crake. Porzana parva (Scop.). 



The Little Crake (Plate 140) breeds in southern Europe, south- 

 western Asia, and northern Africa, and winters in the southern 

 part of its range as well as further south. It has occurred 

 occasionally, chiefly on passage in spring and autumn, in 

 various southern counties, and more rarely in Scotland and 

 Ireland. 



The absence of the white edge to the first flight feather, and 

 of white spots or streaks on the wings, though present on the 

 back, are characters in which it differs from its congeners. So 

 far as the British Isles are concerned, its habits and appearance 

 are similar to those of the others. It has not been suspected 

 of nesting here, though recorded in summer, and its appearance 

 in winter has been noted. The upper parts are olive-brown 

 with dark streaks, and a few white dashes on the back ; the 

 rump is black. The under parts are slate-blue, and only 

 the under tail-coverts are barred in mature birds. The female 

 has the under parts buff, and her throat is white ; the young 

 bird is similarly coloured, but shows indistinct barring of 

 brown on the flanks. The bill is green, red at the base ; the 

 legs are green, the irides red. Length, 8 ins. Wing, 4*2 ins. 

 Tarsus, 1*5 ins. 



Corncrake or Land-Rail. Crex crcx (Linn.). 



The Land-Rail (Plate 143) is found throughout Europe and 

 western Asia, and is a summer visitor to our islands, though, at 

 any rate of late years, less plentiful in the south than further 

 north and in Ireland. 



Although its rasping voice is so well known that the Corn- 

 crake must be called a familiar bird, few who note its arrival 

 in late April or early May have ever really seen it. They 

 may have noticed its head above the growing grass, but like 



