ORNITHOLOGICAL DISCOVERIES 215 



selected the head of an old rotted stump or the fork of a 

 low outhanging branch, or possibly the horizontal surface 

 of an old gnarled liana that ran close to the ground. The 

 nest itself was a concave platform of twigs lined with leaves 

 on wliich rested tlie two dark, cream-colored eggs. The nest 

 in the accompanying illustration (Fig. 62) was lined in the 

 same way, but some of the leaves were green and freshly 

 picked so that the whole structure had an effect of not exist- 

 ing at all in the green mass of foliage that grew around it. 

 The habit of mingling green leaves with brown was doubly 

 significant from the fact that other nests found on stumps 

 and lianas, where there was no surrounding green, were 

 lined only with dead brown leaves which made them just as 

 hard to see in their individual locality. The coloring of the 

 eggs was no aid, for they nearly matched the leaves on which 

 they lay. 



The main nesting season was during the months of 

 April and May, though it possibly commenced earlier. The 

 average measurements of the eggs were 26.5 x 19.5 mm. 



WHITE-NECKED CRAKE. 



Porzana alhicollis Vieill. 



Man}^ nests of this species were brought in by coolies 

 who were clearing the grass from among the trees of the 

 rubber estate. They were always placed on the ground be- 

 tween clumps of the tough savannah grass and often near 

 the base of an old stump that survived as a memory of for- 

 mer forest days, sheltered by its projecting roots. The nest 

 was a large open bowl-shaped affair built entirely of coarse 

 dried savannah grass roughly woven together with perhaps 

 a few dead rubber leaves to strengthen the weak places. It 

 was about 20 cm. in diameter by 10 cm. high, the nesting 

 cup being 10 cm. wide and 5 cm. deep. 



The number of eggs, in the dozen or more sets exam- 

 ined, varied from two to three, though it has been said that 



