114 BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 



wings. As may be expected, its food consists of insects captured 

 in and out of the water, and molluscs generally found in the 

 lierbage of swampy localities. 



*LITTLE CEAKE 

 {Porzana palustris, Gould). 



Male. — Head brown, streaked with darker colour; back dark 

 brown, spotted with white, feathers edged with rusty-brown; tail 

 feathers dark brown, with lighter edges; throat and chest pale ashy- 

 grey; centre of abdomen white; flanks blackish-grey, barred with 

 white; bill, legs, and feet olive-brown. Dimensions in mm.: — 

 Length, 154; bill, 16; wing, 82; tail, 40; tarsus, 24. 



Female. — Similar to male. 



Nest. — Composed of short portions of rushes and aquatic plants, 

 loosely woven together, and concealed in rushes, &c., grow- 

 ing in shallow water. There are two entrances to the nest, one 

 at the back and another in front. 



Eggs. — Clutch four to eight; oval in shape; texture fine; sur- 

 face glossy; colour brownish-olive, freckled or spotted all over with 

 dark brownish-olive. Dimensions in mm. of a clutch : — (1) 28 x 

 19, (2) 27.5 X 18, (3) 27 x 19, (4) 28 x 18.5, (5) 27.5 x 17.5. 



Breeding Season. — October to January. 



Geographical Distribution. — Tasmania, New South Wales, 

 Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, and South Queens- 

 land. 



Observations. — The dense, rank vegetation of some of our 

 swamps and lagoons is the favourite haunt of this Crake. In some 

 districts this species is fairly plentiful, but, owing to its general 

 habits, it is difficult to ascertain with anj' degree of certainty as to 

 its rarity or not. 



* SPOTLESS CEAKE 

 (Porzana tabuensis, Gmelin). 



Male. — Crown of the head and neck blackish-brown; back 

 chocolate-brown; rump, upper tail coverts, and tail blackish; wing 

 coverts similar to back; primary coverts and quills dusky-brown, 

 first primary edged with whitish ; innermost secondaries chocolate- 

 brown ; under surface slaty-grey ; throat paler ; under tail coverts 

 black, barred with white; bill black, legs and feet dull red. 

 Dimensions in mm.: — Length, 162; bill, 13; wing, 78; tail, 40; 

 tarsus, 26. 



Female. — Similar to male. 



Young. — Upper surface resembles that of the adult; under 

 surface nearly white, throat white. 



Nest. — Composed of dry grass, placed on the ground under the 

 shelter of a clump of rushes or band-grass, in the proximity of 

 water. 



