530 RARE BRITISH BIRDS 



in Spain clutches may be taken from the beginning of May. Probably more than one brood is 

 reared in the season, as eggs have been found (incubated) in August in England. [F. c. R. J.] 



CAROLINA- CRAKE [Porzana Carolina (Linnaeus). Carolina-rail, Sora-rail]. 



1. Description. Resembles the common-crake (P. porzana), but is at once recognised 

 by its black forehead and throat. The sexes are alike in size and coloration. Length 7|in. 

 [190 mm.]. General colour of the upper parts olive-brown, with a blackish spot in the middle and 

 whitish margins to the feathers of the mantle and scapulars ; base of the forehead black, bordered 

 with bluish grey, which is continued over the eyes on to the cheeks ; lores and throat black, con- 

 tinued in a broad band down the neck, gradually widening out and merging into the blue-grey 

 of the chest and breast ; axillaries and flank feathers evenly banded with black and white ; 

 under tail-coverts and vent tinged with rust colour ; iris bright chesnut ; bill yellow ; feet 

 yellowish green, [w. p. p. and T. w.] 



2. Distribution. Breeds in temperate North America, north to Newfoundland, James Bay, 

 and about 62 N. on the Mackenzie River and British Columbia, and south to Texas. It winters 

 from California and S. Carolina through the West Indies and Central America to S. America. 

 As a casual it has occurred in Greenland several times, also in the Bermudas, and three times in 

 Great Britain (Berks, Glamorgan, and Tiree). [F. c. R. J.] 



[ALLEN'S GALLINULE [Porphyrio alleni Thompson. Allen's reed-hen. Italian, polio sultano 

 dell' 



1. Description. Recognised by its small size, it being the smallest of all the purple- 

 gallinules. The sexes are alike. Length 12 in. [305 rnm.]. General colour above dull olive- 

 green ; head purplish blue, becoming lighter on the neck, where it merges into the green of the 

 mantle ; quills blackish brown, externally margined with greenish blue ; whole of the under 

 surface of the body brownish purple, darkest on the sides of the body ; under tail-coverts pure 

 white ; axillaries black ; under wing-coverts purplish-blue ; iris reddish brown ; bill dark red ; 

 frontal shield dusky ; legs and feet crimson, [w. p. p. and T. w.] 



2. Distribution. Breeds in Tropical Africa and Madagascar north to Senegal and Abyssinia, 

 and occasionally wandering south to the Transvaal and Cape Colony (once). The one occurrence 

 off the Norfolk coast may be due to an escaped bird, but it has been recorded from the Canaries, 

 several times on the Azores, and also in Southern Europe (Spain, Sicily, Italy, and perhaps 

 S. France). [F. c. R. j.] ] 



[PURPLE-GALLINULE [Porphyrio ctvruleus (Vandelli)], which breeds in South Europe 

 and North Africa ; 



[GREENBACKED-GALLINULE {Porphyrio porpkyrio (Linnseus)] ; 

 [INDIAN-GALLINULE [Porphyrio veterum Gmelin] ; 

 [AUSTRALIAN-GALLINULE [Porpkyrio melanotus Temminck]. 



Have been recorded at different times from the British Isles, but all are well known in 

 captivity, and owing to their climbing powers are apt to escape. [F. c. R. J.] ] 



[THE ANDALUCIAN HEMIPODE OR BUSH-QUAIL, Turnix sylvatica (Desfontaines), which breeds 

 in S. Spain and North-Western Africa, and is a sedentary species, is said to have occurred three 

 times in England, but probably in every case the occurrence was due to an escape from 

 captivity. [F. c. R. J.] ] 



