281 



welcome shelter of the reeds after it has traversed a short distance. When pursued by a dog it 

 seeks to hide amongst the dense herbage, and only takes wing as a last resource when pressed 

 very close. During the daytime its voice is seldom or never heard, but only in the dusk of the 

 evening or during clear nights, and most frequently when it is circling round at some height 

 preparatory to taking a longer flight than usual. Its call-note is a low piping tone, closely 

 resembling the note of the Little Crake, from which, however, it can be distinguished by a 

 practised ear. Von Heuglin says (Orn. N.O.-Afr. p. 1236) that those he met with in North-east 

 Africa " were frequenting shallow water, where the bottom was sandy ; and they were generally 

 seen not far from the shore, amongst numerous tamarisk bushes. -During the daytime they were 

 tolerably shy, and immediately we approached took refuge amongst the tangled mass of roots, 

 and were loth to leave their hiding-place again ; but at night and at daybreak they were livelier, 

 and were seen playing about in the open water every now and again, uttering their low piping 

 call-note. When swimming, and running over the floating plants, they bore great resemblance 

 to the Spotted Crake." Von Heuglin adds that the food of this species consists of worms, 

 spiders, flies, small mollusks, and larvse of various kinds ; and Naumann, who dissected several 

 specimens, states that he found in their stomachs insects, insect-larvae, small mollusks, and coarse 

 sand grains," and very seldom vegetable matter. The larva? of gnats seem, he says, to be the 

 staple article of food with this species. 



The nest of this Crake is placed on the ground in a swampy locality, and is exceedingly 

 hard to find. It is usually carefully concealed in a bunch of sedge, the points of which are bent 

 together so that a basket-shaped hollow is made in the centre, which is internally carefully lined 

 with finer leaves of aquatic plants and dried grasses, and, though carelessly constructed, is by no 

 means very loosely made. If the eggs are much incubated the female sits close, and only slips 

 off when the intruder is quite close to the nest. The eggs, usually from seven to eight in 

 number, are olivaceous ochreous in colour, so closely dotted and marbled with olivaceous brown 

 that frequently but little of the ground-colour is visible ; and some of them are much darker 

 than others. In size those in my collection vary from l^g- by f § to 1^ - by ff inch. 



The specimens figured are the adult male and young female above described, and are in my 

 own collection. 



In the preparation of the above article I have examined the following specimens : — 



E Mus. H. E. Dresser. 



a, d. Valencia, Spain, March 19th, 1872. b, ?. Valencia, May 1871. c, <s . Catarroja, Valencia, March 

 18th, 1872. d, J . Catarroja, April 13th, 1872. e, 6 . Catarroja, April 11th, 1872 {Martin), f. Malta, 

 March 30th, 1864 (C. A. Wright). g,?juv. Karabolska, S.E. Ural, August 14th, - 1872 {Meves). 

 h. Alexandria, Egypt, December 21st, 1876 (F. S.Allen), i, d. Tangier (Olcese). k, I. Madagascar 

 (F. Plant). 



E Mus. Howard Saunders. 



a, d , b, 2 ad., c, 6 juv. Malaga, July 29th, 1871 (Rios) . d, $ ad. Catarroja, Valencia, March 28th, 1872 

 (Martin), d, 6 , e, $,/, ? ad., g, $ im. Near Valencia, March 3rd to 21st, 1873 (Martin), h, i, $ ad. 



