120 RALLID.E. 



The entire length of the Spotted Crake is nine inches ; 

 the beak measures nine lines ; the tarsus, one inch four 

 lines ; the naked part of the tibia, six lines ; the middle 

 toe, including the claw, one inch eight lines ; the wing, 

 from the carpus to the tip, four inches and three quarters. 



The colouring of the adult bird is as follows, and when 

 closely examined is very beautiful. The top of the head, 

 neck, back, scapulars, wing-coverts, and tail are olivaceous- 

 brown, with a dusky spot in the centre of each feather, and 

 all, except the feathers on the top of the head, are beautifully 

 spotted or edged with pure white ; the quills are dusky 

 hair-brown ; the forehead, throat, and a streak over the eye, 

 are purplish-grey ; the two latter minutely spotted with 

 white ; the nape thickly spotted with black and white ; 

 the cheeks are cinereous, spotted with black ; the front of 

 the neck and breast are oil-green and grey, spotted with 

 white ; belly and vent pearl-grey, the sides barred with 

 black, white, and olivaceous-brown ; the beak is olive-yel- 

 low, and orange at the base ; the eyes are red-brown ; the 

 legs and feet olive-yellow. The male and female are very 

 nearly alike, but the cheeks of the female are reddish, and 

 spotted with brown. 



The young birds have the upper parts more greenish, 

 and the white spots are more rounded and fewer in number ; 

 the belly more white, and the beak and legs are greener in 

 colour, and tinged with dusky. 



The egg figured 208 is that of the Spotted Crake. 



