RALLIDE. Sir 
THE LITTLE CRAKE. 
Porzana PARVA (Scopoli). 
This Crake—also called, from its colour, the Olivaceous Gallinule 
—is, on the whole, a rare visitor to England, though in Norfolk at 
least eleven authenticated examples have been obtained since 1809, 
and a much larger number of such an inconspicuous species must 
have escaped notice. Specimens have also been recorded from 
Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire (several), Lanca- 
shire, Cumberland (two), Oxfordshire, Middlesex, Kent (by Mark- 
wick in 1791), Sussex, Hants, Dorset, Somerset, Devon (several) 
and Cornwall; while other counties have no doubt been visited, 
though the bird has not always been accurately distinguished from the 
still smaller Baillon’s Crake, next in order. As regards Scotland, a 
specimen preserved by Thomas Edward of Banff in March 1852 is 
in. the collection of Mr. J. H. Gurney. In Ireland, the only 
authenticated example is one which was shot at Balbriggan in 
March 1854; a bird recorded under this name from Queen’s Co. 
having proved to be a Spotted Crake. There is no evidence that 
the Little Crake has nested with us, and all its visits have been in 
spring and autumn. 
This species is said to have bred in the south of Sweden, and 
on migration has occurred in Denmark as well as once on Heligo- 
