540 BRITISH BIRDS. 
CREX PORZANA. 
SPOTTED CRAKE. 
(PLATE 23.) 
Rallus aquaticus minor, 
Rallus maruetta, 
Rallus porzana, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 262 (1766); et auctorum plurimorum— 
(Latham), (Temminck), (Lichtenstein), (Naumann), (Gould), (Yarrell), (Macgil- 
livray), &e. i 
Rallus fulicula, Scop. Ann. I. Hist. Nat. p. 108 (1769). 
Gallinula ochra, Gerint, Orn. Meth. Dig. v. p.2, pl. 484 (1776). 
Gallinula porzana (Linn.), Lath. Gen. Syn. Suppl. i. p. 293 (1787). 
Ortygometra maruetta (Briss.), Leach, Syst. Cat. Mamm. Sc. Brit. Mus. p. 84 (1816). 
Octogometra maruetta (Briss.), Forster, Syn. Cat. Brit. B. p. 27 (1817). 
Crex porzana (Linn.), Licht. Verz. Doubl. p. 80 (1823). 
Ortygometra porzana (Linn.), Steph. Shaw's Gren. Zool. xii. pt. i. p. 228 (1824). 
Zapornia porzana (Linn.), Gould, B. Eur. ‘p. 843, pl. 848 (1837). 
Porzana maruetta (Briss.), Bonap. Cat. Metod. Ucc. Eur. p. 64 (1842). 
Ortygometra arabica, Licht. Nomencl. Av. p. 96 (1854). 
} Briss. Orn. v. p. 155 (1760). 
The Spotted Crake is generally distributed throughout the British 
Islands wherever swamps and marshes are to be found, but it is much 
more local than the Water-Rail and nowhere so abundant. It is found on 
both the Orkney and the Shetland Islands, but has not been recorded from 
the Outer Hebrides. It is principally known as a summer migrant, but 
has been met with in most districts during the winter months. 
The geographical distribution of the Spotted Crake is very similar to 
that of the western form of the Water-Rail. It has been twice obtained in 
Greenland, but is not known to have occurred either in Iceland or the 
- Faroes. It is a summer visitor to Scandinavia up to lat. 65°, and in West 
Russia up to lat. 64°. In the Ural Mountains it is not known to have 
occurred further north than lat. 58°, or in West Siberia than lat. 55°. It 
is a summer visitor to Turkestan, at least as far east as Yarkand. Pallas 
records it from Eastern Siberia, but no recent traveller has met with it in 
that country. It has been recorded from the Canaries. It is a resident 
in the basin of the Mediterranean ; but is only a summer visitor to 
Northern and Central Europe; and it is doubtful whether it breeds in 
Egypt. To South Russia and the Caucasus it is a spring migrant, but it 
appears to be a partial resident in Persia. A few pairs breed at Gilgit, 
where it is principally known as passing through on migration to winter 
throughout India, and it has been known to occur at that season in Burma. 
The Spotted Crake has probably no nearer ally than the Carolina Crake 
