168 RALLIDA 
in describing its distribution in Ireland, he says, it ‘is 
to be found on flat, sedgy islands in the larger lakes, 
where one cannot walk with dry feet.” The nest is com- 
posed of dry grass and small weeds. The eggs, six to ten 
in number, are of a very pale buff-colour, spotted and finely 
blotched with reddish-brown. 
Incubation begins earlyin June. Hundreds of hatching- 
birds and their eggs are destroyed annually by the mowing- 
machine, but the numbers are maintained by the birds 
that breed in corn, which is not cut until the broods are 
hatched, and also by those which resort to uncultivated 
ground where the mowing-machine is not used. 
Geographical distribution. — Abroad, the Corn-Crake 
breeds freely over a large area of Temperate Europe, extend- 
ing its range in summer even to the Arctic Circle. East- 
ward, it can be traced as a breeding-species over the greater 
part of the Asiatic Continent. In winter it migrates to 
Central and Southern Africa as well as to Arabia. 
DESCRIPTIYE CHARACTERS. 
PLUMAGE.’ Adult male nuptial—Top of head, back of 
neck, back, and scapulars, dark brown, the feathers being 
broadly edged with dull yellowish-buff; wing-coverts and 
primaries,” beautiful rich chestnut, conspicuous when the 
bird is flying; cheeks, greyish ; throat, white ; breast, 
ereyish-buff; abdomen, greyish-white ; flanks, alternately 
barred with chestnut and buff. 
Adult female nuptial.—The grey on the head, and the 
chestnut on the wings are duller than in the male. 
Adult winter, male and female.—The grey on the head 
and breast is replaced by ochreous-brown, and some of the 
wing-coverts show whitish bars. 
Immature, male and female.—Resembles the winter 
adult plumage. 
Nestling.—Dark brownish-black. 
Beak. Light brown. 
FEET. Brown. 
Iripes. Light hazel. 
' Partial and entire albino Corn-Crakes are on record. 
* According to Mr. J. L. Bonhote, the primaries and secondaries are 
shed simultaneously. (‘ Zoologist,’ 1900, p. 29). 
