RALLID2E. 441 



The nest is usually placed on wet ground and 

 near the water's edge : it is formed of stalks of 

 rushes and water plants. Meyer adds that it is 

 capable of floating on the water. 



The beak is yellowish brown, tinged with reddish 

 brown towards the base ; irides dark brown ; the top 

 of the head is olive-brown, streaked with black; 

 over the eye is a dull bluish grey streak, minutely 

 speckled with white ; the space from the beak to the 

 eye is darkish brown; ear-coverts paler brown; 

 cheeks olive-brown, speckled with white ; back of the 

 neck olive-brown, speckled with white and with a few 

 black streaks; feathers of the back and scapulars 

 very dark dusky, nearly black in the centres, with 

 very broad margins of olive-brown and occasional 

 streaks and spots of white ; rump and tail- coverts 

 the same, but the margins of the feathers on the 

 rump are smaller ; wing-coverts olive-brown, a shade 

 browner than the back and not quite so much 

 spotted with white ; primary- quills dark olive-brown, 

 paler on the edges ; tertials dusky in centres, with 

 olive-brown margins and zigzag transverse white 

 marks ; tail-feathers the same, except that the white 

 markings are along the margins; the chin dull 

 bluish grey ; throat the same, speckled with white ; 

 breast pale olive-brown, speckled with white ; flanks 

 darkish brown, streaked with white; belly dirty 

 white; under tail-coverts pale buff. One of my 

 specimens, a young bird, has the chin dull white ; 



