LITTLE CRAKE. 105 



the flanks dark brown ; those of the thighs, vent, and the 

 under tail-coverts slate-grey, spotted with white ; legs and 

 toes green. 



The whole length about seven inches. From the carpal 

 joint to the end of the wing four inches and one eighth ; 

 the second and third quill-feathers nearly equal in length, 

 and longer than the first. 



The female has the beak, irides, and legs, like the male ; 

 round the eye pearl-grey ; top of the head, sides and back 

 of the neck, pale brown ; middle of the back nearly black, 

 with only two or three small spots of white ; scapulars 

 brown, with one or two spots of white ; the wing-coverts 

 and tertials dark in the centre, with broad edges of pale 

 brown, the inner margins lighter in colour than the outer ; 

 primaries dusky brown ; no white spots on the wing- 

 coverts or quill-feathers ; rump, tail-feathers, and upper 

 tail-coverts, dark brown ; the chin white ; the neck in 

 front, breast and belly, delicate buff colour ; flanks and 

 under tail-coverts greyish brown, with white spots forming 

 bands. 



The chicks are at first covered with black down; the 

 beak green ; afterwards the young of both sexes, for a 

 time, resemble the adult female. 



