SPOTTED CRAKE ule 
In Scotland it has bred as far north as Elgin, also in 
Turkeudbrightshire and Dumfriesshire (Saunders). 
In Ireland there is one authenticated instance, namely, 
from the county Roscommon, where Colonel Irwin obtained 
a nest with nine eggs in a swamp near Castleplunket, about 
1851. At that period this species was not uncommon in 
the district (Ussher). It is worth noting that, according 
to Thompson, a young bird, still retaining some down, was 
obtained in the co. Kerry. 
Geographical distribution.—Abroad, it breeds freely in 
many countries of Central and Southern Europe. It 
reaches latitude 65° N. in Scandinavia, but has not yet 
been noticed in Iceland or the Faroes, though twice obtained 
in Greenland (Saunders). Eastward it can be traced, as 
a breeding-species, to Central Asia; in winter it migrates 
to India, North and Central Africa. 
DESCRIPTIVE CHARACTERS. 
PLUMAGE. Adult male nuptial. — Top of head, dark 
brown ; back and wings, greenish-brown, with darker 
streaks, and prettily speckled with white especially about 
the neck and tail-coverts; cheeks and throat, dull grey; 
breast, brown, also speckled with white; flanks, barred 
with brown and white; abdomen, grey. 
Adult female nuptial.—Duller in colour than the male. 
Adult winter, male and female-—Somewhat similar to 
the respective nuptial plumages except that the white spots 
are more profuse, and are visible on the cheeks, throat, and 
side of neck. 
Immature, male and female.—The spots are much more 
profuse than in the adult, and the throat is white. 
Nestling.—Glossy greenish-black. 
Brak. Yellow, shaded with red at the base. 
FEET. Yellowish-green. 
TriDeEs. Reddish-brown. 
AVERAGE MEASUREMENTS. 
TOTAL LENGTH ae aon wa 28) Wea 
WING ... he BS sists vial AD 
BRAK ..: wa 5A oe aon, ORO he 
TARSO-METATARSUS ... 06 Egon is ree 
mee! =, a os pe Ace lele Oesce; Ohan 
