no INDIAN SPORTING BIRDS 



The whity-brown crake is a bird of the Far East, ranging from 

 the Malay Peninsula east even to the islands of the Pacific. 

 In its Malayan haunts it has been observed to prefer cultivated 

 land to the wilds, and is very numerous in autumn in the Singa- 

 pore paddy-fields, especially in those richly manured v\nth urban 

 refuse. Hume figured it along with the Malayan banded crake 

 owing to its having been supposed to have occurred in Nepal, 

 a mistaken idea based on a wrong identification, for which he 

 was not responsible, and which he discovered after the .bird had 

 been drawn. 



Corncrake. 



Crex i^ratcnsis. 



The common corncrake or landrail of Europe, which ranges 

 east to Central Asia, and is a great wanderer in spite of its 

 ordinary reluctance to fly when disturbed, is nevertheless very 

 rare in India, its usual winter quarters being in Africa. It has, 

 however, been reported from our area, and was actually once 

 obtained in Gilgit in early October, so that it is worth mentioning 

 that it is rather larger than a quail, with a short bill, and chestnut 

 wings contrasting conspicuously with its streaky-brown upper- 

 parts. It shows the barring on the sides so usual in rails, but the 

 darker bars are only light brown ; the rest of the under-parts are 

 plain light brown, the breast and cheeks being grey in the summer 

 dress. This is the only rail really esteemed in England, being 

 very fat and good eating, though several of the family are habitu- 

 ally shot in America and on the Continent. The peculiar double 

 call, well rendered by Bechstein as " arrp, schnarrj]," is very 

 characteristic of the bird in its summer haunts, but is not 

 likely to be heard in India. 



Ruddy Crake. 



* Amaurornis fitscus. 



This little crake, about the size of a quail, resembles the 

 Malayan banded crake in having red legs and to some extent in 

 colour, being chestnut on the face, neck and under-parts, but 



* Porzana on plate. 



