BAILLOJfS CRAKE. 337 



it seems to be more abundant than in our island ; 

 and has been found in those of Picardy by the na- 

 turalist whose name it bears, and extends southward 

 to Italy ; but we want information as to its continen- 

 tal range. Out of Europe, South Africa* and Japan t 

 have been given to it. From the former we possess 

 specimens, received at various times, which do not 

 seem to vary, except in the colours being richer and 

 more brilliant than in the British specimen before us. 

 The upper parts and wings are yellowish-brown, 

 tinted with oil-green ; on the head the centres of 

 the feathers darker ; on the centre of the back the 

 feathers are black, having the outer webs without 

 the yellowish-brown, and finely freckled with white, 

 the appearance given is like an irregular white patch, 

 interspersed with black ; on the secondaries and 

 tertials the markings have the form of zig-zag lines, 

 bordered with black ; the under parts, as far as the 

 line of the legs, is nearly bluish-grey ; the colour of 

 the upper parts running into it on the sides of the 

 breast ; the vent, flanks, and under tail-coverts, are 

 dull black, crossed with broken bars of white ; bill 

 dark yellowish-green ; feet and legs yellowish-green. 

 Mr. Yarrell describes the under parts of the young 

 birds to be ** pale buffy white, mixed with light 

 brown." Length of our Scotch specimen about four 

 inches, (perhaps slightly stretched.) Those from 

 South Africa range from five and a-half to six and 

 three-quarter inches. 



* Dr. Smith, , f Temminck. 



