BAILLON’S CRAKE. 149 
BAILLON’S CRAKE. 
PorzANA BAILLONI, Vieill. 
Pl. XXIL, fig. 5. 
Geogr. distr.—Central and Southern Kurope; Africa as far south- 
ward as the Cape and Madagascar; it breeds in Turkestan and 
winters in Persia: several instances of its breeding in Norfolk and 
Cambridgeshire have been recorded, but it is decidedly rare in Great 
Britain. 
Food.—Mollusea, worms, and insects. 
_ Nest.—Carelessly, though not loosely, formed of rush and weed, 
lined with fine leaves of aquatic plants and dried grasses. 
Position of nest—Upon the ground in marshy places, a little above 
the water’s edge, in wild rush or water grass, well concealed ina bunch 
of ce the points of which are bent over so as to form a basket-like 
cavity. 
Number of eggs.—5-8; usually 6. 
Time of nidification.—V-VIIL; June. 
Mr. Seebohm says :—‘‘ It is not improbable that Baillon’s 
Crake breeds in our islands every year. It is such a skulk- 
ing species, and so small, that it is very easily overlooked ; 
and the discovery of its nest and eggs some years ago was 
due almost entirely to accident. The first recorded instance 
of Baillon’s Crake nesting in this country is that of Mr. A. 
F. Sealy (‘Zoologist,’ 1859, p. 6329), who described two 
nests that were found in the fens of Cambridgeshire. One 
of these was discovered on the 6th of June of that year, 
containing six eggs; the other, on which the female was 
captured, was found in the first week in August, and con- 
tained seven eggs considerably incubated.”—Hist. Brit. 
Birds, vol. ii., p. 544.) 
The eggs taken in Norfolk were obtained in June and 
July, 1866, on Heigham Sounds, near Hickling. 
Mr. Howard Saunders says: ‘ Baillon’s Crake appears 
to be less partial to meres and open water than the Little 
Crake ; on the contrary, it frequents the smaller marshes 
and swamps, especially where there is a surrounding of 
tamarisk and other bushes. Evening and daybreak are 
almost the only times when it is to be seen, unless very 
much pressed by a dog, and even then it is loth to take 
wing. The nest, concealed amongst the aquatic vegetation, 
is composed of dry flags and sedge.” —(Yarrell’s Hist. Brit. 
Birds, vol. iii., p. 157.) 
