258 BIRDS OF TUNISIA 



way in and out among cane-brakes and tangled growth. When flying 

 short distances this and alHed species carry their legs hanging down, 

 but whether they keep the legs in this position when accomplishing 

 long journeys on migration it is difficult to say. 



The Water-Rail feeds on worms, insects, snails and the tender 

 shoots and roots of aquatic plants. 



Its usual note is a loud and clesiv " creek," and its call note a 

 sharp " wheet." During the breeding-season the species is very noisy. 

 Its nest, which is generally placed among reeds or similar vegetation, 

 though not actually on the ground, is composed of dry rushes and 

 leaves, and its eggs, usually from six to eight in number, are of a 

 pale buff-colour, spotted with a few pale lilac shell-marks and dark 

 rufous surface-blotches. Average measurements 85 x 25 mm. 



PORZANA PORZANA (LinnEeus.) 

 SPOTTED CKAKE. 



Rallus porzana, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 262 (1766). 



Porzana porzana, Sharpe's ed. Layard's, Birds S. Africa, p. 613 (1884) ; 



Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mas. xxiii, p. 93 ; Erlanger, J. f. 0. 1900, 



p. 45. 

 Gallinula porzana, Malherbe, Faune Orn. de I'Alg. p. 33 (1855). 

 Porzana maruetta, Loche, Expl. Sci. Alg. Ois. ii, p. 338 (1867) ; Koenig, 



J. f. 0. 1888, p. 265 ; id. J. f. 0. 1893, p. 79 ; Whitaker, Ibis, 1895, 



p. 105. 



Description. — Adult male, spring, from Source des Trois Palmiers, 

 Central Tunisia. 



Forehead, and sides of the crown bluish-grey ; centre of the crown, and 

 upper plumage generally olive-brown, striped with black, and spotted with 

 white, the scapulars and upper wing surface streaked and barred irregularly 

 with white ; throat bhiish-grey ; fore neck and upper breast greenish-grey, 

 spotted with white ; lower breast bluish-grey ; centre of the abdomen white ; 

 sides and flanks olive-brown, barred with white ; crissura and under tail- 

 coverts buff. 



Iris reddish-hazel ; bill yellowish, and red at the base of the upper 

 mandible ; feet greenish. 



Total length 8 inches, wing 4-60, culmen -75, tarsus 1-40. 



Adult female similar to the male, but rather smaller, and duller in 

 coloration. 



