THE BROWN AND ASHY CRAKE. 23 1 



the legs should be merely reddish brown. The bills are not 

 quite rightly coloured, and in the old bird the olive green tinge, 

 which is correctly shown on the back of the neck, should extend 

 further on to the wing-coverts, scapulars and back. 



I HAVE already noticed that I have had doubts as to the 

 retention of akool amongst the Porzanas. I have never seen 

 Amaurornis olivaceus from the Philippines and perhaps other 

 islands, but to judge by the plates, it may be congeneric with 

 akool. 



Several species that I should class as Porzanas, besides those 

 already noticed, occur in Africa, Eastern Asia, Japan, the 

 Archipelago, Australia and New Zealand, and America. 



I have several times heard of Crex pratensis, the Common 

 English Corn-Crake or Land-Rail, being obtained in India ; but 

 I have never yet seen an Indian-killed specimen. Blyth says : — 

 " The Crex pratensis is stated by the well-known Indian sport- 

 ing writer ' Purdy' to have been once shot by him in Oudh. 

 I know of no other authority for it as an Indian bird, but have 

 seen specimens from Afghanistan." 



It is undoubtedly common as a summer migrant to Kabul, but 

 I doubt its occurrence in India, and I believe that Purdy and 

 others who have reported it have mistaken for it a small female 

 " Water-Cock" (Gallicrex cinereus) } which, in winter plumage, is 

 really (though larger) very like it. 



However, although we have not thought it worth while to 

 figure it, I subjoin, as it possibly may occur, Macgillivray's 

 description : — 



" Plumage of the upper parts dull yellowish red, streaked with 

 brownish black ; wing-coverts light red ; sides of the head grey ; 

 lower parts pale reddish ; lower wing-coverts, axillaries and sides \ 

 light red, barred with white. 



" The bill is light brown ; the lower mandible whitish at the 

 end ; the iris is light hazel ; the feet bluish flesh colour ; 

 the upper parts are light yellowish brown, each feather marked 

 with an oblong central spot of brownish-black and laterally 

 tinged with grey ; the wing-coverts are light red, some of 

 them imperfectly barred with white ; a broad band of ash 

 grey passes over and behind the eye and ear, and the cheeks 

 are tinged with the same ; the face, forepart and sides of the 

 neck are light yellowish brown, tinged with grey ; the sides 

 and breast barred with light red and white; the lower wing- 

 coverts and axillar feathers light red ; the chin and abdomen 

 brownish white ; quills and primary coverts light brown, their 

 outer webs tinged with light red ; the edge of the wing and 



