THROUGH WILD EUROPE 193 



necessary to wade knee-deep for some distance. The 

 eggs of the latter species are generally somewhat 

 greener in colour than those of the Black Tern, 

 and, like them, boldly splashed with dark markings ; 

 but sometimes a clutch may be so like the allied 

 species that it is necessary to identify the birds to 

 enable one to be perfectly sure. It came on to rain 

 heavily while I was fixing up the camera at the 

 nest of a White-winged Black Tern, and though 

 the bird came on twice in a short time I was 

 somewhat doubtful about the results. However, 

 fortunately they turned out better than I had 

 expected. 



A little farther on, in a clump of grass surrounded 

 by water, was a Spotted Crake (Porzana maruetta) 

 sitting on thirteen eggs. The bird itself was caught 

 on the nest, and proved to be the male ; and later 

 we found another containing eleven eggs. 



In another part, where the water was much 

 deeper and the vegetation more marsh-like, was a 

 nest of Water-rail {Rallus aquaticus) containing eight 

 eggs, and one of the Little Crake (Porzana parvd) 

 with seven eggs. Big clutches seemed to be the 

 fashion in this locality, as we afterwards took a nest 

 of the Little Grebe containing the, to me, extra- 

 ordinary number of seven eggs. On the drier 

 ground was a solitary nest of Pratincole {Glareola 

 pratincola) with three eggs. 

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