Vol. XIII, 

 1914 



] Fletcher, Field Notes on the Spotless Crake. 2OI 



their haunts. The nests are frail structures, and even when they 

 contain eggs are not easily discovered. Some were placed in the 

 dense jungle of the swamp, others almost on dry ground near 

 the edge, but in every case the " run " dropped into water. All 

 used nests had a staging, in some cases two, and in one nest three 

 platforms were built. Generally speaking, the centre of the 

 tussock is chosen, but a few nests were placed at the sides of the 

 clump, though not on the ground. If the female decides to lay 

 in a nest she begins to form a roof by bending the reeds above. 

 I heard a bird at work one evening. Of course, I could not see 

 her, but the tops of the rushes shook and rustled. I took a 

 clutch of eggs from this a few days later. Seven days afterwards 

 my sister found the bird brooding in a new nest in the next clump. 

 A nest found on 6th September contained one egg on 4th October. 

 Another September nest contained eggs on 2nd December ; still 

 another, found on 12th November, contained an egg on 7th Decem- 

 ber. On 25th October I found a few muddy strands laid across 

 each other in a fairly open tussock in a strip of boggy water. 

 Passing through the same piece on 7th November, I disturbed 

 the bird from three eggs. The nesting periods commence about 

 the beginning of September, judging by the fact that on the 

 27th September I found a nest containing three heavily incubated 

 eggs. 



The last clutch of eggs was found by my scout on the 24th 

 January, 1914, and at time of writing (February) there is a new 

 nest under observation. The birds lay between g a.m. and noon, 

 and every day (an exception noted). Three appears to be the 

 normal clutch, four the maximum. Thirteen of the 19 clutches 

 examined consisted of three eggs, the remainder of four. Three 

 broods of three each were observed. From these facts it appears 

 that three is the average clutch in this district. 



The two clutches of eggs in the possession of Mr. Malcolm 

 Harrison, of Hobart, are similar in measurements and colour to 

 those found in this district. The clutches number four in each 

 case. 



The colouring of the eggs examined varied somewhat, though 

 the brownish type predominated. On the whole, there is a 

 certain resemblance in colour markings to the eggs of the 

 Ground-Thrush (Oreocincla macrorhyncha). Eggs of the first 

 clutch taken were greener and paler than others of the season. 

 This may have been colour protection, the reeds in September 

 being in their full spring growth. Another clutch was prettily 

 mottled with darker markings, while in a third, of a Hghter type, 

 two eggs were similar, but the other was boldly flecked with 

 chestnut, dark brown, and purphsh markings. The female 

 begins to brood immediately the clutch is completed. The 

 incubation period, judging by observations, extends over from 

 14 to 16 days. When the nest contains an egg or eggs the 

 owners become very quiet. It is worth noting that the 70 nests 

 recorded were in the haunts of 17 pairs of Spotless Crakes, spread 



