LITTLE CRAKE. 119 



rarely obtained. This bird forms a nest of aquatic plants 

 among rushes, laying seven or eight eggs of a light olive- 

 brown colour, spotted with darker brown ; the length, one 

 inch two lines, by nine lines and a half in breadth ; the 

 form of the egg oval. 



M. Temminck says this species is only found accidentally 

 in Holland, but is more common in Germany and in 

 France, particularly in the central and southern parts. M. 

 Vieillot, in his History of the Birds of France, says it 

 is found in the rice-fields of Piedmont, and in the Pyre- 

 nees ; and was found also by M. Baillon in the marshes of 

 Picardy. It is common in Italy, and the eastern parts of 

 Europe. It is found at Corfu, Sicily, and Crete, but not 

 in great numbers ; it is, however, abundant at Malta in 

 spring, when on its passage northward, but is rare in 

 autumn, as though returning by some other route, which 

 is not uncommon with some birds of passage. Messrs. 

 Dickson and Ross obtained two specimens at Erzeroum, 

 in boggy ground near the river ; one in April, and the 

 second in May, of the year 1839. 



B. Hodgson, Esq. includes it in his catalogue of the 

 Birds of Nepal. 



M. Temminck says that specimens from Japan do not 

 differ from those killed in Europe. 



In the adult male the beak is green, but red at the 

 base ; the irides red ; top of the head, back of the neck, . 

 and upper surface of the body generally, olive brown ; the 

 centre of the back almost black, with a very few white 

 marks, but no white marks on the wing-coverts or quill- 

 feathers ; the primaries dark clove brown ; the tertials dark 

 brownish black in the centre, with broad olivaceous mar- 

 gins ; upper tail- coverts and tail-feathers dark brown; the 

 chin greyish white ; sides of the head, the neck in front, 

 the breast and belly, uniform slate grey ; the feathers of 



