273 



possibly have been any thing but a casual visitor, as the lake lay in perfectly bare shingle, and 

 there was hardly a vestige of vegetation anywhere about. The bird was easily caught by the 

 hand ; and at the same time and place, as already mentioned, a common Quail was captured. 

 This lake lies almost in the most direct route, as the crow flies, between Yarkand plains and Le, 

 and between the nearest points respectively of the Karakash and Shyok." It does not occur in 

 the Nearctic Region. In closing my notes on the geographical distribution of this species I 

 must not omit to refer to an excellent paper by M. van Wickevoort Crommelin, " Notes sur les 

 Rales des Pays-Bas," in the ' Archives Neerlandaises,' t. viii., in which the distribution of the 

 present species, as well as that of its allies, is most carefully and accurately worked out. 



In habits the Spotted Crake, like its allies, is exceedingly secretive ; and hence it is far more 

 frequently heard than seen. It frequents swampy localities where aquatic herbage is abundant, 

 and where it can find good shelter ; and it is extremely difficult to force it to take wing when it 

 is in the dense cover of the reeds, through which it creeps and glides with the greatest ease. 

 When followed by a dog, it invariably seeks to escape by running and hiding ; and it is only when 

 hard pressed that it will take wing, to fly only a short distance, and again seek shelter amongst 

 the reeds. On the wing it does not by any means appear to advantage ; for it flies heavily, like 

 a young bird that has not yet attained to the full use of its wings, and its legs hang down 

 clumsily, unless it flies to some distance, when they are stretched out behind. It is by no means 

 a shy bird, and, as a rule, is not afraid of man, unless it is much disturbed ; and if one moves 

 about quietly, and when in the vicinity of the bird remains quite still, it can often be watched 

 without much difficulty. Its call-note is a clear loud Jciveet, which is seldom heard during the 

 daytime, but most frequently in the evening or at night ; and Naumann remarks that the note 

 with which the sexes call each other is low, and seldom heard unless every thing else is quiet ; and 

 he likens it to a heavy drop falling from a height of several feet into a vessel of water. This 

 bird feeds on aquatic insects and insect-larvse, small worms and small snails, as well as tender 

 shoots of water-herbage and grass-seeds, and usually seeks its food in shallow water or on moist 

 and swampy ground, on the edge of ditches, &c. &c. It always selects a wet place for the purpose 

 of nidification ; and the nest is not unfrequently placed so that the bird can only reach it by 

 swimming, which it can readily do ; for it swims with grace and ease, jerking its head as it paddles 

 along. The nest of the Spotted Crake, resembling that of the Water-Rail, is a careless, bulky 

 structure of flags, dried reeds, and leaves of aquatic plants, lined with finer materials ; and the 

 eggs, from nine to twelve in number, are deposited in May or early in June. They are oval in 

 shape, the surface of the shell being smooth and rather glossy. In ground-colour they are warm 

 ochreous, or dull ochreous marked with fine dots, with violet-grey shell-markings and reddish 

 brown spots and blotches, which are tolerably regularly scattered over the surface of the shell. 

 In size those in my collection vary from 1^ by f^- to 1^-J by ff inch. 



The nest is exceedingly difficult to find, being very carefully concealed amongst the reeds or 

 long aquatic grass, and is placed either on the damp ground or on a platform of broken-down 

 reeds in the water. 



The specimens figured are the adult male and the young bird above described. 



