BIRDS OF TASMANIA. Ill 



heavily marked with pinkish-red and purple. Dimensions in mm. 

 of a clutch:— (1) 34 x 25, (2) 34.5 x 25, (3) 35 x 24.5, (4) 34.5 

 x25. 



Breeding Season. — September to December. 



Geographical Distribution. — Tasmania, King Island, New 

 South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, South Queensland, and 

 Western Australia ; also New Zealand. 



Observations. — Lewin's Eail is fairly plentiful in some locali- 

 ties, but, owing to its great shyness, it is difficult to make 

 observations as to its habits. Low, swampy situations are its 

 favourite haunts, for it is in such places that it can find 

 sufficient food and build its nest. Its food consists of insects of 

 all descriptions, captured both in and out of the water; also 

 molluscs, such as are usually found in damp localities. When dis- 

 turbed this Rail will dive under the water instantly, only re- 

 appearing again at some considerable distance. An interesting 

 note from Mr. A. B. Brent is given by Mr. A. J. Campbell, 

 which is well worth quoting. It runs:^ — "Both Spotted Crake 

 and Lewin's Rail have the stage or track leading up to the nest, 

 but much larger in the latter, on account of the great height of 

 some of the positions from the ground, as compared with those 

 of the Crake, which are low down. I have found the nest of the 

 Rail as high as 3 feet from the ground, whereas I have never 

 seen the other more than 1 foot high. The nest of the Rail is 

 more compact, rounder, and deeper, with the fine grass and 

 rushes overhead laced together and formed into a kind of dome- 

 shaped basket-work covering. I should like to draw your atten- 

 tion to the fact that this little bit of workmanship does not occur 

 until such time as the bird is sitting, when she seems to amuse 

 herself by reaching up her long neck and bill and pulling the 

 rushes down. The nest of the Crake is not like the Rail's, being 

 composed of dry bits of rushes and aquatic weeds, carelessly 

 made, with a slight attempt at an overhead covering. When 

 sitting, the nest-stage and eggs are mostly plastered with a thick 

 coating of mud; in fact, you cannot tell if the latter are eggs 

 or stones. I find, I have omitted to say the nest of the Rail is 

 composed of fine band-grass (dry), beautifully put together, with 

 a track of the same material, which has the appearance of 

 being gathered up by the end and carried in as far as the Inest 

 by the bird, where the end is tucked in, and the remaining part, 

 which is generally long, left lying where the bird entered. By 

 this means the nest is formed. In the case of the Crake, she 

 carries nothing for her stage, but simply makes use of the rushes 

 and grass at hand, and with her fine long toes she must tread 

 it into position." 



