PORZANA PORZANA. 613 
in the Leiden Museum, where it was examined by Mr. J. H. Gurney, 
who refers it to the present species, which was hitherto known only 
from Gaboon. 
The following is a translation of Dr. Hartlaub’s original 
description. 
Above blackish, the feathers margined with olive with a white 
lateral edge; head grey; under surface of body ashy; the throat 
and abdomen whitish; vent and under tail-coverts pale rufous ; 
under wing-coverts ashy, varied with whitish. Total length, 73”; 
bill, 8”; wing, 3” 10’; tarsus, 13’’; middle toe, 1"10”. Mr. Andersson 
gives the soft parts as follows :—‘‘ The iris is brown tinged with 
reddish yellow; the eyelid yellow; the basal part of the bill green, 
merging into bluish at the extremity; the ridge of the upper 
mandible dark brown; legs and feet dusky green with a shght 
bluish tint on the upper portion of the uncovered part of the 
tibia.” 
590. Porzana porzana (L.). Spotted Crake. 
This Huropean species has to our knowledge occurred but once 
within our limits, Captain Shelley having recorded one specimen as 
obtained by Mr. Jameson’s expedition at Selenia Pan on the 29th 
of December, and Mr. Ayres adds :—“ This is a rare bird in all parts 
of South Africa I have visited.’ 
The large size of this species as compared with Baillon’s Crake 
ought to distinguish it at once, but in order to identify it clearly we 
give a copy of the description given by Mr. Dresser in his “ Birds of 
Europe.” , : 
Adult male.—Forehead, crown, sides of the face, chin and upper 
throat deep blackish slate-grey, the throat and head in front of the 
eyes unspotted ; crown closely marked with black and dark reddish 
brown ; lores and feathers at the base of the bill nearly black; 
nape, hind neck, and upper parts generally dark reddish brown with 
an olivaceous tinge, on the neck closely dotted with white, and on 
the rest of the upper parts marked with short stripes and spots 
of white and tolerably regularly blotched with black; quills and 
tail olivaceous brown, the first primary externally narrowly 
margined with white; under parts deep slate-grey, the centre 
of the abdomen nearly white, the breast spotted, and the flanks 
spotted and barred with white; under tail-coverts warm ochreous 
