614 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
buff; bill orange colour, except at the base, where it is red 
iris dark reddish brown; legs green with a yellowish tinge, the 
joints tinged with leaden blue. ‘Total length about 8-5 inches ; 
culmen, 0°85; wing, 4:1; tail, 2°2; tarsus, 1°45 ; middle toe with 
claw, 1-7. 
Fig. Dresser, B. Hur. vii. pl. 496. 
591. Porzana BAILLONI (Vieill.). Baillon’s Crake. 
Ortygometra minuta, Layard, B. 8. Afr. p. 338. 
Common in a few favoured localities. At Swellendam we shot 
several in one small vley near the Buffeljagts River. They are 
very difficult to flush, and fly heavily when on the wing. A 
pointer will stand to them as to Snipe, and the bird often rises 
from under his nose. They feed on minute crustaceans, a 
little Swecinea (S. Delalandi), which abounds in its favourite 
haunts, water-weeds, and worms. Mr. W. Atmore writes: ‘ Eggs 
six to eight, rather long, dirty white, with pale brown spots 
at the large end.” Mr. Ayres has procured it in the Transvaal, 
where he says it is not common, but is occasionally put up while 
Snipe-shooting. 
Mr. Andersson writes :—‘This pretty species is an inhabitant 
of the few marshes existing in Damara Land. At Omanbondé, 
where it breeds, I found it plentiful; it is also common in the 
marshy districts about Lake N’gami, and on the rivers Teoughe and 
Okavango; and I likewise obtained a specimen in Ondonga. It 
frequents alike the rank vegetation of the stagnant pools and the 
more scantily sheltered rills, searching industriously for insects, 
worms, slugs, snails, &c. When surprised it takes wing more 
readily than most of its congeners, but flies only for a very short 
distance, and drops amongst the aquatic herbage at the first 
convenient spot, from whence, if needful, it prolongs its retreat by 
running. This Crake constructs its nest of pieces of stalks of reeds, 
rushes, and other vegetable substances. The eggs are six or seven 
in number, of a brownish-buff or olive-brown colour, closely spotted 
with obscure markings of a darker hue, and are rather larger than 
the eggs of the Starling. The flesh of this species is very tender 
and delicate.” One specimen has been sent by Senor Anchieta from 
Capangombe, on the Chimba River. 
Upper parts brown, variegated on the back with black and white ; 
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