174 GRALLATORES. RALLUS. Rat. 
grass, and contained six eggs of an immaculate white ; like 
those of its congeners, rounded at both ends. TemmincK 
and BrcustEIn, however, make the number of eggs to be 
ten or twelve, and their colour a yellowish-white, spotted 
with reddish-brown, a description which also answers to those 
of the Crex Porzana. 'This discordance, I regret, it is not 
in my power to settle, never having been fortunate enough 
to meet with the nest of the Rail. The geographical distri- 
bution of this species appears to be confined to Europe, and 
perhaps the northern parts of Asia; permanent in the warm 
districts, but migratory as it approaches the north. It is very 
abundant throughout Holland, France, and Germany. 
PiatE 29. Represents this bird of the natural size. 
General Bill reddish-orange at the base, passing into blackish-brown 
descrip- 
tion. 
towards the tip. Iridesred. Chin pearl-grey. Cheeks, 
sides of the neck, breast, and belly, bluish-grey. Ab- 
domen and flanks greyish-black, barred with white and 
cream-yellow. Under tail-coverts cream-yellow. Crown 
of the head, nape and back part of the neck, and all the 
upper parts of the body, yellowish-brown, with the cen- 
ters of the feathers velvet-black. A few of the lesser 
wing-coverts barred with black and white. Legs and 
toes yellowish-brown, tinged with flesh-red. Both sexes 
are of similar plumage. 
Genus CREX, BecusT. CRAKE. 
GENERIC CHARACTERS. 
Bill shorter than the head, thick at the base, subcultrated, 
compressed ; the culmen gradually deflecting from the fore- 
head to the point of the bill; lateral furrow of the upper 
mandible broad, and occupying more than half its length; 
angle of the under mandible bending upwards; both man- 
dibles of an equal length. 
