THE LITTLE CRAKE. 241 



with yellowish margins to the exterior feathers. The chin, 

 throat, and sides of the neck, pale ash ; the forehead, cheeks, 

 and all the rest of the under parts, dusky ash, with some dull 

 white markings on the under tail coverts and sides of the 

 thighs, but all the rest plain. The feet olive brown, the bill 

 greenish with a tinge of red at the base ; and the orbits and 

 irides orange red. 



The shortness of the wings, which, when closed, do not 

 reach above half the length of the tail, is perhaps the most 

 remarkable character of this very obscure species, one which, 

 from the peculiarity of its habits, and the fact of its being 

 met with close upon the breeding season, may perhaps be 

 one of those native birds, few in number, and confined to 

 peculiar localities, which escape general observation, and 

 elude even moderately careful research. 



THE LITTLE CRAKE (Cr 



Of this small species, of which only a few specimens have 

 been found, the history is as obscure and puzzling as that of 

 the preceding. Like that, it has been met with only in the 

 south of England, near the banks of streams that were mar- 

 gined with thick vegetation, and, like that, it has been found 

 at a particular season (the month of May) when it is not easy 

 to see that any particular cause should have brought it to 

 the country as a wanderer. 



This species is rather shorter than the former ; but it is 

 longer in the wings, and the colours are quite different, at 

 least on the under part, and in the feet, the structure of 

 which is different different indeed from all the rest of the 

 genus, the hind toe being considerably produced. Head 

 brown, dusky on the top, paler on the sides, with an ash- 

 coloured streak over the eye ; hind part and sides of the neck 

 pale olive brown ; rest of the upper part black with olive 

 brown margins. Chin and throat white, passing through 



VOL. II. R 



