RALLIDA, 509 
THE SPOTTED CRAKE. 
PorzANA MARUETTA (Leach). 
This species, smaller in size than the Land-Rail, is also a regular 
spring-visitor to England, but owing to the drainage of the fens and 
the reclamation of marsh-land, it is far less plentiful than formerly, 
In two excellent articles by Mr. O. V. Aplin (Zool. 1890, pp. 401- 
417 and 1891, pp. 88-96), the collected evidence indicates that the 
bird often arrives in Sussex and other southern counties by the 
middle of March, and breeds wherever it finds localities suitable to 
its habits ; though often supposed to be rarer than is really the case, 
owing to its skulking habits. Among its known nesting-places may 
be mentioned East Anglia, the Humber, Trent and Solway districts, 
Durham and Northumberland, as well as several of the southern 
counties, and the bogs of Breconshire in Wales. The majority 
leave in October, but some remain through the winter, especially in 
the south and south-west. On the east side of Scotland, where it is 
chiefly seen in autumn, it has nested as far north as Elgin, while on 
migration it has occurred in the Orkneys and thrice in the Shetlands 
(in October); on the west it has bred in Kirkcudbrightshire and 
Dumfriesshire, but has seldom been recorded north of the Clyde. 
In Ireland, where it is rare, its occurrences are chiefly in autumn, but 
its eggs have been found in Roscommon, and a nestling in Kerry. 
Although the Spotted Crake has twice been obtained in Green- 
land, it has not yet been noticed in Iceland or the Feroes. On the 
Continent its northern range extends to about lat. 65° in Scan- 
