BAILLON’S CRAKE. 403 
Saturday last [July 7th] another of my friends was so 
lucky as to get five eggs* of the same species.” From 
further enquiries at the time, and communications re- 
ceived from Mr. R. Upcher, Mr. Crowfoot, and Mr. 
Frere, of Yarmouth, I was enabled,to gather the 
following additional particulars. It appears that the 
four eggs mentioned by Mr. Overend as purchased on 
the 9th of June, were taken on that day, at Potter- 
Heigham, or rather on Heigham Sounds, near Hickling, 
by a labouring man, who sold them to a lad named 
John Smith, at Yarmouth, who had been in the habit 
of collecting eggs for Mr. Crowfoot. The former was 
of course ignorant as to what they were, but as soon 
as their rarity was known, it was elicited from the man 
who took them that he had seen the parent birds near 
the nest, which was placed in a parcel of reeds growing 
in water, about a foot in depth. It was very small 
and loosely made, composed of dry rushes. A few days 
later Smith paid a visit to the spot with the hope of 
securing the nest, but found that the reeds had been 
cut and the nest spoiled, and no doubt the man who 
discovered it, was employed in reed cutting at the time. 
The five eggs procured on the 7th of July were also 
taken in the same locality, but of these, unfortunately 
three were broken. What became of the last nest I 
cannot say, but the two were most likely constructed by 
the same pair of birds. 
taken on a nest, which had seven eggs. Specimens of this crake 
were also killed, during that season, in the same locality where, at 
the same time, spotted rails were unusually plentiful. 
* Of the first four eggs taken on the 9th of June, purchased 
by Mr. W. M. Crowfoot, of Beccles, one only remains in his 
possession, he having most liberally parted with the remainder to 
Mr. A. Newton, Mr. R. Upcher, and myself. Of those taken on 
July 7th, three were broken, and of the other two, one is, I 
believe, in Mr. Overend’s possession, and the other in the collec- 
tion of Mr. A. Crowley, of Croydon. 
382 
