BAILLON'S CRAKE. 20? 



dull, inconspicuous and ill-defined. The eggs vary in length 

 from i*i to i"22, and in breadth from 0*83 to crgi. 



The SEXES do not differ appreciably in size, though the dimen- 

 sions of individuals of each sex vary somewhat. 



Length, 6-62 to 775 ; expanse, io*o to 1175 ; wing, 3*12 to 

 37 ; tail from vent, 175 to 2'2 ; tarsus, 1*05 to 1*25 ; bill from 

 gape, 0'68 to 078 ; weight, i*i to r8 ozs. 



The irides are normally red, brick red, crimson, carmine ; 

 but in some, probably younger birds, they are orange red and 

 reddish brown, and I have three specimens in which they were 

 recorded as light brown. The legs and feet are green, with a 

 yellowish tinge, some might be called brownish olive, some 

 merely dull green or pale olive green ; claws pale brown ; the 

 bill is green, dusky on culmen and at tips. 



The plate is not altogether satisfactory. In the first place, 

 the legs and feet are, as already mentioned, green, and not pink, 

 as shown in the plate ; in the second place, for nine speci- 

 mens out of ten, the barring on the sides and flanks is too 

 regular and pronounced, and there is rather too much of it ; in 

 the third place, the pure white speckling and smearing on the 

 back, scapulars and tertiaries, is omitted (!) 



I may add that, though some females are very like the one 

 figured,* old females become very like the males, except that 

 they remain paler on the lower surface and have the grey on 

 the breast more or less intermingled with pale buffy brown. 



This species and the Little Crake are so much alike that it 

 may be well to point out how they may be distinguished. 



Baillon's Crake may be recognized by its smaller size, shorter, 

 and in proportion, deeper bill, and by having the back, sca- 

 pulars, and greater wing-coverts, all, more or less, profusely 

 variegated with a somewhat bluish white ; whereas in the Little 

 Crake the corresponding markings, which are rather coarser 

 and of a purer white, are confined as a rule to the centre of the 

 back, though occasionally there is a trace of these on some 

 of the longer scapulars. In Baillon's Crake the outer web of 

 the first primary is nearly entirely white or yellowish white. In 

 the Little Crake it is brown, only slightly paler and yellower 

 than the inner web. Moreover, in the Little Crake there is much 

 less barring on the flanks and under tail-coverts. Again, though 

 possibly this is only seasonal (on this point I cannot speak with 

 certainty), the Little Crake has the base of the bill bright red. 

 Lastly, the adult females of the Little Crake have the entire 

 breast and upper abdomen uniform fulvous fawn, while those of 

 Baillon's Crake have these parts an albescent grey, often only 

 very slightly intermingled or fringed on the breast with brownish 

 fawn. 



* The right hand figure in the plate, 



