RALLIDJ3 SAROTHRURA 255 



Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xxiii, p. 120 (1894) ; Shelley, B. Afr. i, p. 177 

 (1896). 

 Sarothrura elegans, Beichenoiv, Vog. Afr. i, p. 287 (1900). 



Desertion. Adult Male. Crown of the head, sides of the face, 

 neck and chest rich chestnut ; back and wings black, thickly 

 covered with oval and ochraceous spots, the primaries spotted on 

 their outer webs with the same colour ; tail banded with chestnut 

 and black ; lower breast and abdomen black, conspicuously spotted 

 with white ; under tail-coverts barred reddish buff and black ; 

 axillaries and under wing- coverts blackish, slightly mottled with 

 white. 



Length about 5*75 ; wing 3'5 ; tail 1*75 ; culmen *5 ; tarsus 1*10. 



The female is a warm brown above covered with numerous pale 

 ochre spots, each of which is bordered with a smaller black one 

 above and below ; the primaries are brown slightly spotted, along 

 the outer web ; the tail transversely banded with warm brown and 

 black ; below the throat is pure white, the rest ochraceous white, 

 darkest on the chest and flanks, all mottled and barred with black 

 and brown. Bill and feet reddish-horn. 



Distribution. The White-spotted Crake was considered to be 

 confined to Cape Colony and Natal, where it is a rare bird and 

 seldom met with. Dr. Reichenow, however, has recently received 

 some examples from the Cameroons, in West Africa which he con- 

 siders identical with the South African species, but which Dr. 

 Sharpe has described as distinct. 



The few recorded South African localities are : Cape Colony 

 Knysna (Layard), Port Elizabeth, rare (Brown), East London, June 

 (Rickard in S. A. Mus.), King William's Town (Trevelyan) ; Natal 

 nr. Durban, February, August (Bt. Mus.). 



Habits. Sir Andrew Smith states that this Crake is found near 

 stagnant water where there is plenty of cover owing to the presence 

 of beds of reeds and rushes. 



677. Sarothrura rufa. Red-chested Crake. 



Eallus rufus, Vieill, N. Diet. H. N. xxviii, p. 564 (1819). 

 Porzana dimidiata, Less., Traite d'Orn. p. 537 (1831). 

 Gallinula dimidiata, Smith, III. Zool S. Afr. Aves, pi. 20 (1889). 

 Corethrura ruficollis, Gurney, Ibis, 1859, p. 249 [Natal] , 1868, p. 261 



[Transvaal] . 

 Corethrura dimidiata, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 339 (1867) ; Sharpe, ed. 



Layard's B. S. Afr. p. 615 (1884). 



