122 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. vm. 



have noticed that they were of a different species, so that 

 I should not have had an opportunity of examining them, 

 with the result that this record would never have appeared. 



H. W. Ford-Lindsay. 



[Only three previous occurrences are admitted in our 

 Hand-List, viz. : Notts. 1854 (?), Cornwall, Sept. 12th, 1871, 

 Fair Isle, Sept. 24th, 1910.— Eds.] 



SPOTTED CRAKE IN SUSSEX. 



On August 1st, 1914, whilst at Pett, I was shown a Spotted 

 Crake {Porzana porzana) by one of the " lookers," who had 

 just picked it up under the telegraph wires. It was quite 

 fresh, and I should say it had only been killed the previous 

 night. Unfortunately the next day was Sunday, and the 

 Monday Bank Holiday, so it was not until the 4th that I 

 gave it to Mr. Ruskin Butterfield for the Hastings Museum. 

 By an oversight he put it on one side until the Wednesday, 

 when it was too far gone to preserve. 



H. W. Ford-Lindsay. 



MOOR-HEN COVERING EGGS. 



The notes which have appeared in British Birds {antea, 

 pp. 54, 79, 102) on this question are very interesting. 

 Mr. Masefield's experience, which has led him to look upon 

 the habit of covering her eggs as quite a common one of the 

 Moor-Hen, is the very opposite of my own. In fact, out 

 of the scores of Moor-Hens' nests which I have found, I have 

 never yet seen one which had the eggs properly covered, 

 and, as I have been interested in this question for many 

 years, I have invariably examined the nests very carefully 

 when possible, even though no eggs were visible. One does 

 sometimes find bits of reeds or leaves or nest-material 

 lightly laid over the eggs, but I have always considered 

 this due to accident and not to design on the part of the bird, 

 because in no single case which I can recall did this material 

 in any way tend to the concealment of the eggs. Although 

 I have often watched Moor-Hens both on to and off the nest, 

 I have never seen any attempt to cover or uncover the eggs 

 on the part of the bird, even when she has left without 

 being disturbed. E. Arnold Wallis. 



I have seen many Moor-Hens' nests, but camiot recall 

 ever observing one in which the eggs had been covered by 

 the bird in leaving. Nevin H. Foster. 



