The Crakes. 



BAILLON'S 

 CRAKE. 



[Poyzana intennedia.) 



THE MOOR-HEX. 

 {Gallinula chloropiis.) 



This is a smaller species than any of the foregoing, and 

 has the wing about three-and-a-half-inches in length. It is 

 brown, sparsely spotted with white on the back, and has the 

 sides of face, throat and chest grey, but it can always be 



distinguished by its uniform brownish-grey axillaries, these being barred with white 



in the Spotted Crakes. 



Baillon's Crake has been found in sprmg and autumn in Great Britain, but is 



very rare. It is, however, believed to nest occasionally in England. It is distributed 



over the greater part of Central and Southern Europe, and is found in winter on the 



Persian Gulf and in Africa. The nest is made of rushes, and the eggs, from six to 



eight in number, are olive brown with spots of reddish brown and dark grey : they 



measure a little over an inch in length. 



This is a well-known 

 inhabitant of our rivers 

 and marshes, and is a 



resident species in all parts of Great Britain. 



It is found all over Europe and Asia, and 



also occurs in Africa and Madagascar. The 



Moor-Hen is easily recognised from the 



other British Kails by its larger size, by the 



red shield on its forehead, and by the red 



band above the tarsal joint, both of which 



characters, as well as the white markings on 



the flanks, are plainly seen when the bird is 



swimming. 



It is much less shy than the other species 



of Rails and is now to be seen in many of 



our London parks, where it is as tame as 



the other water-fowl. It is said to do some 



damage b}' eating the eggs of game-birds 



and ducks, but its principal food consists of 



worms and insects. The nest is a com- 



pactl}' built round structure of flags and 



sedge among rushes or on a branch overhanging the water. The eggs are from 



seven to nine in number, and are of a stony-buff colour, with reddish brown or 



blackish spots and grey underlying ones. They measure from one-and-a-half to 



two-inches in length. 



Two species of these brilliantly coloured birds have been 

 THE PURPLE J , , ■ , ,■,-,, .u u 1 



^ « T T T^TTtr T-o recorded as having been shot in England, v\z.: the Furple 



GALLINULES. " 



(-;^,„jj Gallinule {P. cccritleus) of Southern Spain and the Green- 



POKPHYRIO. backed Gallinule {P. porphyrio) of Africa. As, however, these 



The Moor-Hen. 



