SIX MONTHS’ BIRD COLLECTING IN EGYPT. 185 
%131. BAILLON’S CRAKE, Porzana pygmea (Naum). 
Captain Shelley says he has “no other authority than 
that of Riippell” for it, and he appears to consider Riippell’s 
authority worth very little, but at p. 327 he admits that P. 
pygmeca is a likely bird to be met with. I shot it in the reeds 
of a pond at Benha, February 11th.’ There were a quantity 
of Rallide there—for the size of the place, but I believe they 
were Spotted Crakes, and perhaps a few Waterhens. I 
was attracted to it by its loud note, and after looking 
steadily for some minutes I saw it moving in the reeds. I 
had visited the pond before, on the 15th January, but only 
saw a few Snipes and Dabchicks. On one other occasion I 
saw an example, viz., on the 26th of January, on an island 
on Lake Menzaleh. I flushed it twice, but could not rise it a 
third time; for though there was not a bush on the island, 
there was a good deal of scrubby stuff like heather, as high 
as a man’s knee. 
132, WATER-RAIL, Rallus aquaticus, Linn. 
I saw one in the market at Alexandria on the 8th of 
January. 
133. WATER-HEN, Gallinula chloropus (Linn.) 
“ Misticavi.” 
Markets at Alexandria and Cairo. Iam not sure if I 
ever saw it alive, but the species must be pretty common in 
the Delta to have an Arabic name.* 
* The Water-Hen is but a blind flyer at times. In February, 1838, 
my father’s spaniel flushed one, which flew against a rail with such 
violence that it knocked itself completely over. 
