338 



THE LITTLE CRAKE. 



Crex pusilla. 

 PLATE XXXI. 



Gallinula minuta, Mont. Rallus pusillus, Lath. Crex 

 pusilla, Selby. Poule <Teau poussien, Temm. ^Little 

 Crake or Olivaceous Gallinule of British authors. 



This little species, of plainer dress than the last, is 

 of equal rarity in occurrence, having heen met with 

 only at intervals in the counties to the southward of 

 Yorkshire, between March and October ; no speci- 

 mens are noted in Scotland or Ireland, or, indeed, 

 to the south of the county named above. So far as 

 we know, its habits and nidi fi cation are similar to 

 those of the two last ; but its habits, except with 

 great patience, are a great hinderance to investiga- 

 tion. It is curious that these birds this as well as 

 the last are said by Temminck to be of " acci- 

 dental" occurrence in Holland, a country which 

 we should have considered in every way suited to 

 them. In Southern and Eastern Europe it seems 

 plentiful. Temminck considers the Japanese species 

 identical. 



