48 



SPOTTED CRAKE. 



SPOTTED RAIL. SPOTTED WATER-HEN. SPOTTED GALLINULE. WATER-CRAKE. 



WATER-RAIL. 



PLATE CLXXIX. FIG. II. 



Crex porzana, SELBY. JENTNS. 



Gallinula porzana, BEWICK. FLEMING. 



Eallus porzana, MONTAGU. 



Ortygometra porzana, STEPHENS. 



THE nest of this Crake is put together of the larger and smaller 

 stalks of rushes, reeds, and other water-plants, in marshy places, among 

 beds of reeds, and often at the water's edge, and so arranged as to be 

 capable of floating on the water, being thickly lined with soft grass, 

 and the edges well rounded. Nevertheless, they are at times destroyed 

 by the rising of floods. 



The eggs are as many as from seven, eight, nine, or ten, to twelve 

 in number, and even eighteen have been found together, but these 

 doubtless the produce of two birds. They are of a pale reddish white, 

 or yellowish grey ground colour, spotted and speckled with dark reddish 

 brown. The hen sits for three weeks to hatch the eggs. The young 

 quit the nest very soon after being hatched. 



