SPOTTED CRAKE. 75 



narrowly with white; greater and lesser wing coverts, olivaceous 

 green, tinged with yellowish brown, with a dusky spot on 

 the centre of each feather, and other white spots surrounded 

 by a line of black. Primaries, very dark dusky brown, 

 tinted with olive green, with the outer web of the first 

 feather white; tertiaries, long, transversely streaked with 

 narrow white lines surrounded by a broad shade of black. 

 Tail, black in the middle of the feathers, their edges brown 

 and spotted with white; it is rather rounded at the end, 

 the centre feathers being the longest; upper tail coverts, 

 black in the middle, margined with pale greenish olive and 

 brown, and spotted with white; under tail coverts, grey, or 

 pale buff white. Legs and toes, which are long, olive 

 yellow; claws, brown. 



The female is like the male. Head on the sides, reddish, 

 spotted with brown. 



The young, on their first appearance, are entirely covered 

 with black down; the bill red at the tip and the base, the 

 middle part black; afterwards they have the bill greener, 

 and tinged with dusky, the tip brown; the eyebrows deep 

 grey with numerous white specks; head on the sides, chin, 

 and throat, greyish white, with a few darker specks; the 

 upper parts more greenish with fewer white spots, and more 

 rounded; the breast below, more white, the quills deep 

 brown; the legs greener in colour, and tinged with dusky 

 grey. 



