EALLIDM. 317 



which it searches for the insects, worms, and seeds of 

 water-plants which constitute its food. It runs with 

 great swiftness, but does not refuse to take wing when 

 pursued. Its flesh is good. 

 Measurements of a female : 



in. lin. 



Entire length 9 10 



Length of folded wing 46 



tarsus 19 



middle toe 1 11 



tail 18 



bill 21 



[This species has not been figured. ED.] 



371. Ortygometra pygmsea, Naum. Baillon's Crake. 



Zaporna baillonii, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 344. 

 Ortygometra bailloni, Gurney, in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 3. 



Andersson, ibid. p. 7. 



Ortygometra minuta, Layard's Cat. No. 633. 

 Crex baillonii, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 421. 

 Zapornia pygmcea, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10461. 



This pretty species is an inhabitant of the few marshes 

 existing in Damara Land. At Omanbonde, where it 

 breeds, I found it plentiful; it is also common in the 

 marshy districts about Lake Ngami, and on the rivers 

 Teoughe and Okavango; and I likewise obtained a 

 specimen in Ondonga. It frequents alike the rank vege- 

 tation 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 



