126 KALLID.E. 



The eggs are eight or ten in number, measure fourteen 

 lines in length and ten in 'width, are perfectly egg-shaped, 

 and smooth, but with very little polish ; the ground colour 

 is light olive-brown, spotted with darker brown, very 

 much in the manner of the last species, but more distinct. 

 The young, which are covered with black down, run out of 

 the nest as soon as they are dry, and much resemble mice. 

 The food of the Olivaceous Crake consists in insects and 

 their larvse, which it obtains in swamps and bogs, small 

 snails together with their shells, and rarely worms, many 

 grass seeds and vegetable productions, with which it swallows 

 grains of sand and minute pebbles ; in the stomach of this 

 bird, several remains of beetles of divers sorts have been 

 found, as also, empty shells of small mollusca ; among others 

 were the remains of flies, gnats, grasshoppers, and water- 

 spiders. During the day, the bird is constantly engaged in 

 the pursuit of these insects, of which it seems ever to find a 

 great supply. In confinement, the Olivaceous Crake is very 

 expert in catching flies whenever they come within its reach ; 

 ants' eggs and meal worms are a favourite food, and on bread 

 and milk it thrives well, and becomes very sociable. 



The appearance of this Crake when on the ground is very 

 elegant, the head and neck are then prettily thrown back, the 

 body carried horizontally, and the tail lowered ; when it runs 

 it generally bends its legs considerably, and moves on with 

 great velocity, its speed being so great that the legs are 

 hardly seen. 



This bird is very expert in swimming, dives if necessary, 

 and runs over the green weeds that float on the surface of the 

 water, without making apparently the least impression. The 

 flight is wavering, very near the ground, and is seldom pro- 

 longed to any great distance ; when surprised and fired at, it 

 rarely takes wing, but runs for shelter ; in which it resem- 



