49^ LITXr.E CRAKE. 



southern side of the Baltic as far as Livonia, and in Central 

 Russia ; more abundantly in Poland, Southern Germany, Austro- 

 Hungary, Central France, Savoy and the Rhone valley, and also in 

 Italy down to Sicily ; but is as yet only known on passage in the rest 

 of the Mediterranean and in Spain. It is, however, said to be resi- 

 dent in Algeria, though as a matter of fact little is known respecting 

 its distribution in Africa. In the Caspian district it is common in 

 summer; and eastward it can be traced through Persia and Turkestan 

 as far as Gilgit, while it occurs on the lakes of Sind in winter. 



A nest found in the Obrez marsh in Slavonia on May 24th 1883, 

 is described by Mr. W. Eagle Clarke as a depression in the side of 

 a hummock of sedge about six inches above the water, amply lined 

 with short broad pieces of reed-blade, and containing 7 eggs. The 

 colour of the latter is pale olive flecked with dull brown ; their 

 shape is oval, and in size they somewhat exceed those of Baillon's 

 Crake: average measurements i"i by '85 in. A newly-hatched 

 chick, to which attention was drawn by the loud clear note of the 

 old bird two days later, was " glossy black with a beautiful dark 

 greenish cast, and had bluish-grey legs." The note is a defiant 

 kik, kik, kik. In food and general habits this species resembles 

 its congeners, but Mr. Hume says that it is more insectivorous than 

 Baillon's Crake, adding that he never flushed it from sedge or reed, 

 but found it running over or swimming among the leaves of the lotus 

 and water-lily, while exhibiting less timidity than the smaller species ; 

 he also saw it diving several times, apparently in search of food. 



The adult male has ihe beak green, red at the base ; irides red ; 

 crown and upper surface generally, olive-brown ; back with broad 

 black streaks, and a few small white marks, none of which are 

 on the wings ; primaries clove-brown on both webs (without any 

 white outer margin to the first as there is in P. bailloni) ; inner 

 secondaries dark brown in the centre, with broad olivaceous 

 edges ; tail-feathers with dark brown centres ; chin grey ; sides of 

 the head, front of neck, breast and belly, slate-grey ; thighs, vent 

 and under tail-coverts minutely spotted with white ; legs and toes 

 green. Length 8 in. ; wing 4-2 in. The female is smaller, and differs 

 in having the space round the eye pearl-grey ; crown, nape and 

 sides of the neck, pale brown ; chin white ; front of neck, breast and 

 belly fulvous buff-colour ; flanks and under tail-coverts greyish, 

 with narrow white bars. The young are still paler on the under 

 parts, and more streaked on the flanks. 



