78 LITTLE CEAKE. 



The nest, of considerable size, is placed either in a tuft 

 of rushes or upon the water itself, supported in the latter case, 

 on the stalks of rushes or other aquatic plants, bent down 

 and intermingled with grass, the adjoining materials of the 

 like kind being drawn in a hood-like manner over it. 



The eggs are from seven or eight to ten in number, smooth, 

 without much polish, and of a light olive brown or yellowish 

 or greenish white colour, spotted with darker brown. 



The young run out of the nest almost directly after being 

 hatched. 



Male; weight, two ounces; length, about seven inches, or 

 from that to seven and three quarters; bill, long and slender, 

 deep green, pale yellowish red at the base. Iris, crimson 

 red; the head on the sides is of a slate grey colour; on 

 the crown, the neck on the back and nape, dusky brown 

 with a yellow olive tinge; chin, greyish white; throat, slate 

 grey colour, the latter on the sides brown; breast above, 

 pale fawn-colour, below, olive brown spotted with white and 

 slightly barred with paler brown. Back above, deep olive 

 green, black on the middle part, forming a broad streak, the 

 feathers margined with olive brown, the inner margins pale 

 with some white streaks and spots; below, olive brown. 



The wings have the first and second quill feathers of nearly 

 equal length, and longer than the first; greater wing coverts, 

 with white tips surrounded by a line of black; lesser wing 

 coverts, plain dull olive green; primaries, dark dusky brown, 

 tinged with dull olive green; tertiaries, dark brownish black 

 on the centres of the feathers, the edges dull greenish olive. 

 Tail, dark dusky olive brown; upper tail coverts, dark dusky 

 brown; under tail coverts, dark slate grey colour, spotted and 

 crossed with white. The legs and toes, which are long, are 

 of a deep olive green colour; they are bare of feathers for 

 not quite half an inch above the knee; the hind toe is 

 considerably produced; claws, horn-colour. 



The female has the eyebrows pale grey; head about the 

 eyes, pale ash grey colour; crown, pale brown; neck on the 

 back and sides, pale brown, in front delicate whitish buff- 

 colour; chin, white; throat, greyish white; breast, pale whitish 

 buff-colour, on the sides barred with the colours of Shakespeare's 

 witches 'white, black, and grey;' back on the middle part, 

 nearly black, with some white marks sparely scattered. 

 Greater and lesser wing coverts, dark on the middle of the 

 feathers, their edges broadly marked with pale brown, the 



