THE SPOTTED CRAKE. 21 5 



As a rule I believe that, during the cold season in India, this 

 species is a very silent bird. Only once have I certainly heard its 

 note, and that was in April in the Dun. 



It is also, I should say, much less gregarious than Baillon's 

 Crake. I never remember, even when I always had good dogs 

 with me, putting up more than a pair in the same place, and 

 far more commonly you only find a single bird. 



I have already mentioned that this species arrives in India 

 towards the end of September. I may add that the great 

 majority seem to leave Lower Bengal in March, when they 

 certainly become more numerous in Upper India, and this latter, 

 before the end of April ; but I have known specimens killed 

 near Delhi on the 1st of May, and in the Dun on the ioth of 

 that month, and in the valley of the Sutlej, near Rampur (far 

 in the interior of the Himalayas), on the 15th, so that they 

 probably move northwards by easy stages. 



It seems just possible that, as in the case of the Grey Quail, 

 some few birds may remain as accidental stragglers to breed in 

 this country. 



Dresser thus summarizes what is on record of the habits and 

 haunts of this species in Europe : — 



" It frequents swampy localities, where aquatic herbage is 

 abundant, and where it can find good shelter ; and it is extremely 

 difficult to force it to take wing when it is in the dense cover of 

 the reeds, through which it creeps and glides with the greatest 

 ease. When followed by a dog, it invariably seeks to escape by 

 running and hiding; and it is only when hard pressed that it 

 will take wing, to fly only a short distance, and again seek 

 shelter amongst the reeds. 



" It is by no means a shy bird ; and, as a rule, is not afraid 

 of man, unless it is much disturbed ; and if one moves about 

 quietly, and when in the vicinity of the bird remains quite 

 still, it can often be watched without much difficulty. Its call- 

 note is a clear loud KWEET, which is seldom heard during the 

 day-time, but most frequently in the evening or at night ; and 

 Naumann remarks that the note with which the sexes call each 

 other is low and seldom heard unless everything else is quiet ; 

 and he likens it to a heavy drop falling from a height of 

 several feet into a vessel of water. This bird feeds on aquatic 

 insects and insect-larvae, small worms and small snails, as well as 

 tender shoots of water-herbage and grass-seeds, and usually 

 seeks its food in shallow water or on moist and swampy ground, 

 on the edge of ditches, &c, &c." 



I KNOW nothing of the nidification of this species, which, so 

 far as we yet know, does not breed within our limits. Dresser, 

 following Naumann and others, says : — 



" It always selects a wet place for the purpose of nidification ; 

 and the nest is not unfrequently placed so that the bird can 



