PORZAXA. 163 



1391. Crex pratensis. The Land-Rail or Com-Crahe. 



Rallus crex, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 201 (1768). 



Crex pratensis, Bvchst. Naturg. Deutschl. 2" Aufl. ii, p. 461 (1805) ; 



Crex 

 p. 82. 



Coloration. In winter the feathers of the crown, hind neck, 

 back, rinnp, and tail, with the scapulars and tertiaries, are black, 

 with broad brown borders growing grey at the margins ; upper and 

 under wing-coverts and axillaries bright chestnut ; wing-feathers 

 and primary-coverts dark brown, the exposed portions rufous ; 

 outer web of first primary and edge of wing buffy white ; sides of 

 head, including supercilia, and of neck, and the whole of the 

 breast light brown, a darker band through the eye ; chin, throat, 

 and abdomen whitish ; flanks, thighs, and shorter under tail- 

 coverts brown with white cross-bars, longer under tail-coverts 

 white. 



In summer the supercilia, cheeks, and fore neck are ashy grey, 

 a light brown band passing from the lores through the eye and 

 ear-coverts to the side of the neck ; the breast is grey washed 

 with light rufous brown, and the bands on the flanks are more 

 distinct. 



Young birds have white barring on the wing-coverts. The 

 nestling is clad with black down. 



Bill, feet, and claws pale brown ; iris hazel (Seebohm). 



Length 10 ; tail 2 ; wing 6 ; tarsus 1*5 ; bill from gape 1*05. 



Distribution. A migratory bird, found in the summer throughout 

 the greater part of Europe and in Central Asia, and in winter in, 

 Africa and Arabia. It is said to be found at that season near 

 Cabul. Various reports of its occurrence in Northern India have 

 been heard from time to time, but all are of doubtful authenticity, 

 and the only trustworthy record is by Scully, who obtained a 

 single specimen at Grilgit on Oct. 8th. 



Genus PORZANA, Vieill., 1816. 



The- little, short-billed, long-toed Water-Bails, with a brown 

 back, grey or greyish breasts, and more or less white spotting, 

 form a fairly natural genus. The bill is comparatively short and 

 moderately stout. The tarsus, which is at least half as ong again 

 as the bill, is considerably shorter than the middle toe and claw. 

 The 2nd quill is longest, or 2nd and 3rd subequal ; the 1st is 

 much shorter, and about equal to the 6th or 7th. The tail-coverts 

 extend nearly or quite to the end of the tail. 



The Little Crake, Rallus parvus, has been separated from the 

 Spotted Crake and its allies on account of having slightly shorter 

 secondaries, and some difference in coloration between the sexes, and 

 was referred to Leach's genus Zapornia by Sharpe ; but I cannot 



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