Q32 
LITTLE CRAKER. 
base reddish : irides red : the throat, eyebrows, sides 
of its neck, its breast, and belly are ash-coloured : 
the upper parts of the plumage are olive-grey, with 
the central part of each feather dusky : on the top of 
the back is a large black space varied with several 
white streaks : the abdomen and sides are rayed with 
indistinct bands of white and dusky : the under tail- 
coverts are black rayed with white : the legs are green. 
The female has only the eyebrows and the sides of 
the head of a pure ash-colour : her throat is whitish : 
the fore part of the neck, the breast, and the belly, 
are reddish-ash : the outer webs of the tail-coverts 
are shaded with yellowish-red. The young have their 
colours less brilliant : nearly all the throat is whitish : 
the white dashes on the back are less numerous and 
smaller than in the adult, and the feathers of the 
sides of the body are brown, banded with white. 
Found on the borders of rivers, lakes, and pools, 
amongst rushes and other aquatic plants, in great 
abundance in the eastern countries of Europe : com- 
mon also in Germany and Italy, but rare in France 
and Holland. Only one specimen has, as yet, been 
seen in England, which was killed near Ashburton, 
in Devonshire, in the year 1809. Its food consists 
of insects, small slugs, and aquatic plants : its nest is 
constructed amongst rushes, or coarse aquatic plants : 
it lays seven or eight yellowish eggs, spotted with 
bro'.vn. 
