84 



SPOTTED CRAKE. 



SPOTTED RAIL. SPOTTED WATER-HEX. SPOTTED 

 GALLTNULE. WATER-CRAKE. W^ATER-RATL. 



PLATE CLXXIX. FIG. II. 



Crex porzana. .... Selbt. Jentns. 



GallinuJa porzana, .... Bewick. Fleming. 



Hallus porzana, .... Montagu. 



Ortygometra porzana, . . . Stephens. 



The nest of this Crake is put together of the larger 

 and smaller stalks of rushes, reeds, and other water- 

 plants, in marshy places, among beds of reeds, and 

 often at the water's edge, and so arranged as to be 

 capable of floating on the water, being thickly lined 

 with soft grass, and the edges well rounded. Never- 

 theless, they are at times destroyed by the rising of 

 floods. 



The eggs are as many as from seven, eight, nine, 

 or ten, to twelve in number, and even eighteen have 

 been found together, but these doubtless the produce 

 of two birds. They are of a pale reddish white, or 

 yellowish grey ground colour, spotted and speckled with 

 dark reddish brown. The hen sits for three weeks to 

 hatch the eggs. The young quit the nest very soon 

 after being hatched. 



