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Benoit, and is common on the spring passage in Sardinia. In Malta, Mr. C. A. Wright states 

 (Ibis, 1864, p. 150), it is "rather plentiful in spring in some years, but less so in autumn. 

 Oftenest met with in March, in low humid localities at the head of the Great Harbour." Lord 

 Lilford saw a specimen killed near Butrinto, in the Ionian Islands ; and, according to Dr. Kruper, 

 it occurs in Greece ; but he is not sure if it breeds there, and remains also over winter. It is 

 rare in Corfu, where it arrives in April ; but in Crete, Colonel Drummond-Hay says, it is 

 common late in that month. Messrs. Elwes and Buckley state (Ibis, 1870, p. 332) that it is 

 found near Constantinople, but is not abundant. Colonel Irby says that it is common in April 

 in the Crimea; and it breeds not uncommonly, Goebel states (J. f. O. 1871, p. 145), near Uman, 

 in Southern Russia. I do not find any record of its occurrence in Palestine or North-east 

 Africa, though it is said by Loche to be resident in Algeria ; and it has not been observed by 

 Favier in Morocco. 



To the eastward the present species is found as far as North-west India. Dickson and Ross 

 obtained it at Erzeroum ; Dr. Severtzoff states that it occurs in Turkestan ; and Mr. A. O. Hume 

 writes (Stray Feathers, i. p. 251) that " this little Rail is very abundant in Sindh. In some of 

 the inland pieces of water (that at Dost Ali for instance) a dozen may be seen at the same time, 

 busy feeding, running on the lotus-leaves, or again swimming rapidly from leaf to leaf." 

 Mr. Hume adds that the boatmen told him that it breeds regularly in Sindh. 



The Little Crake has not been met with in Dauria, and consequently it cannot be the Rallus 

 pusillus of Pallas. Besides, Pallas's description is somewhat indefinite and will suit equally well 

 for Baillon's Crake, to which species it not improbably refers, as this latter Crake is found in 

 Dauria; but as Pallas's name has been in such general use for the present species, and the 

 description is by no means a good one, it cannot well be used for Baillon's Crake, and must be 

 discarded altogether. Scopoli's description of JRallus parvus quite clearly refers to the Little 

 Crake, especially as he speaks of the base of the bill being red, and in any case takes precedence 

 of Pallas's name. I have therefore no hesitation in using it for the present species. 



In general habits the Little Crake closely resembles its allies Porzana maruetta and 

 Porzana bailloni ; and like those it is very secretive, living in overgrown marshy places, where 

 it finds excellent shelter, from which it is extremely difficult to drive it out ; for it will only take 

 wing when hard pressed, and usually seeks safety on foot, taking refuge in the densest reed- 

 growth. It swims with ease and grace, but flies heavily, and, after having traversed a short 

 distance, drops into the shelter of the reeds again. As a rule it is rather more frequently seen 

 in open pieces of water than Porzana bailloni ; and Naumann remarks (I. c.) that it will not 

 unfrequently show itself in the open when any one is near, and utter its call-note as if in 

 defiance. Its call-note is tolerably loud, and is described by Naumann as resembling the syllables 

 Mk kik kik frequently uttered, not unlike the call of Picus medius. In breeding-habits it closely 

 resembles Baillon's Crake ; and its nest and eggs are not unlike those of that species. 



Dr. Kutter, to whom I was indebted for the first eggs of the Little Crake I possessed, has 

 published (J. f. O. 1865, pp. 334-341) some very detailed and interesting notes respecting the 

 nidification of the present species, of which he took several nests on a pond near Cottbus. The 

 first nest found by him, which contained three eggs, he describes as being carefully constructed 

 of dry, worn flag-leaves, rather flat in form, the outside diameter being 5^", the diameter of the 



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