158 RALLID^. 



clove-brown, spotted with white ; primaries dark brown, the 

 outer web of the first quill-feather edged with white ; upper 

 tail-coverts and tail-feathers clove-brown ; throat, cheeks, 

 sides, and front of the neck, breast, and belly, uniform 

 lead-grey ; flanks, vent, and under tail-coverts boldly banded 

 and spotted with black and white ; legs and toes dull olive. 



The female has the chin nearly white, and the under parts 

 generally paler ; the tertials more streaked and barred with 

 white, and even the tips of the primaries are faintly spotted. 



The whole length is six inches and a half. From the 

 carpal joint to the end of the wing four inches ; the second 

 and third feathers equal in length, and the longest in the 

 wing ; the length of the tarsus one inch and one-eighth ; 

 the length of the middle toe and claw one inch and five- 

 eighths. 



The young male which belonged to Dr. Thackeray was killed 

 in the month of January, and was to all appearance a bird 

 of the previous season, not having quite attained the mature 

 plumage, the chin being still greyish-white, and the lead- 

 grey colour of the front of the neck, breast, and belly being 

 varied with patches of pale huffy brown and bars of greyish- 

 white. In still younger birds, before their first autumn 

 moult, the neck, breast, and under parts are pale buflfy 

 white mixed with light brown. 



As particular marks of distinction between the two 

 small species, it may be mentioned, that the Little Crake 

 exhibits but a few white marks on the centre of the back, 

 and sometimes on the scapulars, but never on the wing- 

 coverts ; in Baillon's Crake, on the contrary, these white 

 marks are very numerous, occupying several distinct situa- 

 tions, namely, the central space on the back, the scapulars, 

 wing-coverts, and tertial feathers on both sides: in Baillon's 

 Crake, also, the outer web of the first primary is white, 

 or mottled white ; in the Little Crake it is unvaried brown, 

 except when the feather itself is impoverished by age and 

 atmospheric influences. 



