224 ALLEN'S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY. 



Crex parva, Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. ii. p. 457 (1884). 

 Zapornia parva, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiii. p. 89 (1894). 



Adult Male in Breeding Plumage. General colour above 

 ochreous brown, varied with black centres to the feathers and 

 a few white spots ; the scapulars and innermost secondaries 

 ochreous brown with black centres, the latter pale ochreous 

 along their inner webs, forming a longitudinal band on each 

 side of the back ; the rest of the wing-coverts nearly uniform 

 brown ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quills sepia-brown ; 

 lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts darker and with 

 more black than the rest of the back, the feathers being black 

 edged with brown ; tail-feathers also black edged with brown ; 

 hinder crown uniform reddish-brown, like the hind-neck ; fore- 

 head, a broad eyebrow, sides of face, and entire under 

 surface of body light slaty-grey; sides of breast ochreous 

 brown, like the sides of the neck ; flanks almost entirely 

 uniform, excepting for a few wrrte bars, and dusky on the 

 lower thighs and vent ; under tail-coverts white, washed with 

 ochreous and crossed with blackish bars ; under wing-coverts 

 and axillaries uniform brown, like the quill-lining ; bill green 

 tinged with red at the base ; legs and feet green ; iris deep 

 carmine. Total length, 7 inches; culmen, 07; wing, 4; tail, 

 2 ; tarsus, 1*15 ; middle toe and claw, 1*6. 



Adult Female. Similar to the male on the upper surface, 

 but a little more olive, the brown colour of the head extending 

 in a narrow line to the base of the bill ; lores hoary-grey ; 

 sides of face and a broad eyebrow grey ; a faint tinge of brown 

 on the ear-coverts ; cheeks and throat white ; remainder of 

 under surface, from the fore-neck downwards, pale vinaceous 

 isabelline ; thighs clear ashy, as also the lower flanks, which 

 have dusky bars and white edges to the feathers ; vent and 

 under tail-coverts barred with black and white, the latter 

 tinged with ochreous buff. Total length, 7 inches ; wing, 



Young. Similar in general to the adult female, but having 

 the scapulars mottled with white bars ; under-surface of 

 body entirely white, as also the sides efface and eyebrow ; the 

 breast more or less varied with the remains of dusky edgings 

 to the feathers ; the thighs distinctly banded with brown and 



