LITTLE CRAKE. 17 



year 1829, page 275, it is mentioned that Mr. James Hall 

 caught a specimen of the Olivaceous Gallinule, G. pusilla, 

 alive in a drain in Ardwick meadows, near Manchester, in 

 the autumn of 1807. In the same work, but for the year 

 1834, page 53, the late Mr. Hoy has recorded that a Little 

 Gallinule was shot near Yarmouth. Mr. W. Borrer, jun. 

 sent me notice that a Little Crake, Crex pusiUa., was taken 

 alive on the banks of the Adur, at Beeding chalk-pit near 

 Shoreham, in October 1835 ; and in 1836 Mr. W. C. Wil- 

 liamson recorded, in the printed Proceedings of the Zoo- 

 logical Society, that an Olivaceous Gallinule had been killed 

 near Scarborough. 



Other examples have no doubt been killed in various parts 

 of England, but it must be considered a rare bird, and, per* 

 haps, is not always clearly distinguished from the species next 

 to be described. In its food and general habits this Oliva- 

 ceous Crake very closely resembles the Spotted and other 

 Crakes, but is occasionally seen on the higher and more cul- 

 tivated soils. Montagu truly observes, that the habits of 

 the smaller species of Gallinules are their principal security ; 

 they are not only equally capable of diving and concealing 

 their bodies under water, with only the bill above the surface 

 to secure respiration, but run with celerity and hide them- 

 selves amongst the rushes and flags of swampy places, and 

 are with great difficulty roused even with the assistance of 

 dogs, depending more on concealment in thick cover, than 

 upon their wings, to avoid danger. From these circum- 

 stances it is, that they are so rarely obtained. This bird 

 forms a nest of aquatic plants among rushes, laying seven or 

 eight eggs of a light olive-brown colour, spotted with darkei 

 brown ; the length one inch two lines, by nine lines and a 

 half in breadth ; the form of the egg oval. 



M. Temminck says this species is only found accidentally 

 in Holland, but is more common in Germany and in France, 



VOL. III. C 



