WHITY-BROWN CRAKE 109 



wanting in the Western form ; it is generally distributed in India 

 and Burma, and is generally resident, though a good many 

 come in in the cold weather from countries to the northward. 

 It reaches not only Ceylon, but the Andamans, and breeds as 

 far south as Tavoy. 



In the plains it may be found nesting up to September, 

 but though nesting begins about the same time in the Himalayas 

 — in June — it does not go on so late there. Wild rice, or rice 

 cultivatipii, is its favourite haunt, although it is found wherever 

 there is low cover by the waterside, and it shifts about the 

 country a good deal in order to find these desirable conditions. 

 It swims and runs on aquatic plants like the little crake, and 

 dives readily if pressed ; but it is shyer, and comes out less into 

 the open, keeping more to swampy places than the open water 

 itself. It is a sociable bird, several being usually found near 

 together, and is also rather noisy, the voice being, according 

 to Hume " a single note, repeated slowly at first, and then 

 several times in rapid succession, winding up with a single 

 and somewhat sharper note in a different tone, as if the bird 

 was glad that the performance was over." This call is 

 chiefly heard during the breeding-season. In feeding this 

 species is less exclusively insectivorous than the little crake, 

 taking wild rice and other seeds freely, as well as greenstuff. 

 The nest is well concealed among rushes, wild rice, or marsh 

 grass, and is made of that sort of vegetation. The eggs number 

 about half a dozen, and have faint but thick dark frecklings on 

 a greenish-drab ground. 



Whity-brown Crake. 



* Poliolimnas cinereus (Brit. Mus. Cat. Birds, vol. xxiii). 



This small crake, considerably less in size than a snipe, is 

 recognizable among its kind by its very plain colouring of light 

 brown, shaded with grey in front, above, and white below ; the 

 legs are green. The young have none of the grey shade about 

 the head. 



* Porzana cinerea on plate. 



