152 RALLIDJS. 



was evidently breeding (Ibis, 1882, p. 578). Beyond this 

 point its African range is unknown. 



In its food and general habits this Olivaceous Crake 

 resembles the Spotted and other Crakes, but, according to 

 Mr. Hume's experience, its tastes are more exclusively insec- 

 tivorous than those of Baillon's Crake. The same observer 

 states that he never flushed birds of this species from sedge 

 or reed, but found them running about over, or swimming 

 from leaf to leaf of the lotus and water-lily, exhibiting far 

 less timidity than the smaller species. He also saw one 

 bird voluntarily diving several times, apparently in search 

 of food, and not for safety. 



Naumann says that the Little Crake is more partial to open 

 patches of water than Baillon's Crake, and will even boldly 

 show itself, uttering its loud defiant call -note, kik, kik, kik. 

 Dr. Kutter, who found several nests of this species on a 

 pond near Cottbus, Nieder-Lausitz, describes one as well 

 concealed, rather flat in form, carefully constructed of dry 

 flag-leaves, and raised about a foot above the surface of the 

 water ; a second, rather rudely built on dead aquatic 

 herbage, was only a few inches from the water ; whilst a 

 third was composed of dry sedge-grass.* The eggs appear 

 to be seven or eight in number, of an oval form, rather 

 larger and paler than those of Baillon's Crake : light-olive 

 brown in colour, flecked with darker brown, and measuring 

 about 1*1 by *85 in. 



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 broadly flecked with black, with a very 

 few white marks, but no white marks on the wing-coverts 

 or quill-feathers ; the primaries dark clove-brown on both 

 webs (without any white outer margin to the first, as in 

 P. bailloni) ; the tertials dark brownish-black in the centre, 

 with broad olivaceous margins ; upper tail-coverts and tail- 

 feathers dark brown ; the chin grey ; sides of the head, the 

 neck in front, the breast and belly, uniform slate-grey ; the 

 * Journal fur Ornithologie, 1865, pp. 334-341. 



