514 THE BIEDS OF HELIGOLAND 



It is distributed as a breeding species over the whole of 

 Europe up to the Arctic Circle, and in Asia nests as far as the 

 Jenesei. 



306. Spotted Crake [GEFLECKTES SUMPFHUHN]. 

 CREX PORZANA, Lichtenstein. 1 



Heligoland ish : Lutj-bonted Akkerhennick = $maW many-coloured Field-hen. 



Crex porzana. Nauinann, ix. 523. 



Spotted Crake. Dresser, vii. 267. 



Poule-d'eau marouette. Temminck, Manuel, ii. 688, iv. 440. 



This charming bird seems to be still more partial to warmth 

 than the preceding species, for the few examples which one meets 

 with here occur in May and August ; nor can one exactly reckon 

 upon obtaining more than three in the course of a year. As, how- 

 ever, such individuals are, in almost all cases, met with by the 

 merest chance, we may assume that probably a somewhat larger 

 number visits the island on both migrations. 



With the exception of the extreme north, the breeding zone of 

 this species extends over the whole of Europe, and at least as far as 

 central Asia. 



307. Little Crake [KLEINES SUMPFHUHN]. 

 CREX PUSILLA, Lichtenstein. 2 



Crex pusilla. Naumann, ix. 547. 



Little Crake. Dresser, vii. 283. 



Poule-d'eau poussin. Temminck, Manuel, ii. 690, iv. 440. 



The Little Crake has only been seen and shot here once during 

 the last fifty years viz. on the 22nd of April 1854 ; the bird in 

 question was an old female, and is preserved in my collection. In 

 the case of this species also, we may probably assume that it has 

 occurred more frequently, but on account of its small size and 

 retired mode of life has always escaped observation. It occurs as a 

 breeding species in the lower parts of central and southern Europe, 

 and extends within the same parallels of latitude eastwards as far 

 as India. 



1 Porzana maruetta (Leach). - Porzana parva (Scop. ). 



