28 British Birds, with their Nests and Eggs 



April until as late as July. The young birds when hatched are clothed in 

 black down, and are very expert at hiding themselves amongst the coarse 

 water herbage in which they are usually produced. 



The plumage of the bird is characteristic. The upper part of the male 

 is olive-brown, with black streaks down the centre of the feathers ; the sides 

 of the face, neck, and breast is dull leadish-grey, and the flanks are black, 

 well barred with white; the legs and feet are of a brown flesh colour, and 

 are naked above the tarsal joint. The female has the same markings but is 

 duller in colour, and occasionally shows some white bars on the wings. Varieties 

 of colour are not very frequent, although the bird has such an extensive 

 range of distribution. The young birds have the iris brown, but as the bird 

 approaches maturity the eye becomes a rich orange-red. The total length of the 

 bird is about ten inches. 



Family— RALLID^. 



The Spotted Crake. 



Porzana maruetta, Leach. 



THE genus Porzana includes three species which are fairly entitled to be 

 considered as British, the Spotted Crake, P. maruetta, which is to be 

 regarded as the type of the group ; Baillon's Crake, P. bailloni ; and the Little 

 Crake, P. parva, both of which are rare visitants to this country. The Spotted 

 Crake is a migratory species, which inhabits Europe generally during the breeding 

 season, migrating in the autumn southward, and wintering in North Africa. It 

 may be regarded as a somewhat local bird in England and Scotland, and is even 

 less numerous and but a ver}^ irregular summer visitant to Ireland. In England 

 it is more frequent in the maritime counties than in those which are inland, and 



