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NESTING HABITS OBSERVED ABROAD OF SOME 

 RARE BRITISH BIRDS. 



BY 



F. C. SELOUS. 

 Part IV. 



(Co7itinued from jyage 80.) 

 Little Crake. Porzana 'parva (Scop.). 



1 found this species nesting- in some numbers on the 

 islands in the Yalencze Lake in Hung-arj at the end of 

 May, both in 1899 and in 1902, and also in some swamps on 

 the other side of the Danube in the latter year. In my 

 diary I wrote, on May 29th, 1899, concerning- the first 

 nests I ever saw of this species at the Valencze Lake as 

 follows : — • 



" In the course of the day I took two Little Crakes' 

 nests. One of these was built in an old nest of a Great 

 Reed Warbler, about two feet above the water. The 

 other was placed among- some thick dry reeds, and at 

 about the same height above the water. This nest 

 looked just like a very small Moorhen's nest, being- built 

 of flat dry reed leaves. The cuj), however, was much 

 smaller and deej)er than in a moorhen's nest." 



On May 30tli I made the following- notes concerning 

 the nesting- habits of this species : — 



" Found three more Little Crakes' nests containing 

 seven, six, and five eggs respectively. Two of these nests 

 were built close down u]3on the ground amongst reeds, on 

 little swampy islands, and not covered over in any way ; 

 but the third, which was j)laced in exactly the same 

 position as the other two, except that it was just on the 

 edge of a lane of open water, was completely covered so as 

 to be invisible from above. It was exactly like a larger 

 form of a nest of Savi's Warbler, having- a beautifully 

 formed deep cup, and being made of the same flat and dry 

 brown reed leaves." 



