CEYLON RAILS, WADERS, GULLS, AND TERNS. 185 
Bill of moderate length and fairly stout, dark brown in 
colour and green at the base; iris blood-red ; legs and feet 
grayish-black. 
Length about 10; wing 5; tail 2:2; tarsus 1°7; bill from 
gape 1:2. 
Distribution —A rare but fairly constant migrant to the 
Island, arriving in October or November, and leaving probably 
about February. Stray specimens have been recorded from 
various parts of India and the Malay Peninsula. Its summer 
quarters are unknown. 
Habits —Rather a mysterious bird ; most of the specimens 
have been obtained in Colombo, where they arrive about the 
end of October in a very exhausted condition. On arrival 
they generally seek refuge in bungalows, hiding in any odd 
corner they can find. When they recover from their journey 
they make for the hills. The bird is nocturnal in its habits, 
and frequents sedgy streams and paddy fields up-country. 
Sometimes it wanders into the jungle far from water. 
AMAURORNIS FuscusS (Blanford, Vol. I[V., p. 170). 
PORZANA FUSCA (Legge, p. 769). 
The Ruddy Crake. 
Description —Upper plumage olive-brown ; forehead, sides 
of the head, neck, and lower parts, except the abdomen, 
vinous chestnut ; a trace of white on the throat ; abdomen 
and lower tail coverts brown with whitish streaks. 
Young birds are uniformly dusky olive, with the exception 
of the chin, throat, and centre of the abdomen, which are 
whitish. 
Bill olive-brown ; iris orange-red ; legs and feet reddish. 
Length about 8; wing 4; tail 1°5; tarsus 1-4; bill from 
gape about 1:0. 
Distribution —Scattered sparingly through the low-country. 
Most birds are probably migrants, but some undoubtedly 
breed with us. 
The species occurs throughout India and Burma, the range 
extending through South-eastern Asia and the adjoining 
islands to China and Japan, 
