294 
ORNITHOLOGY. 
The egg of Baillon's Crake is very correctly figured by 
Mr. Hewitson in the third edition of his " Eggs of British 
Birds/^ It is oval, slightly pointed towards one end_, the 
shell of a firm and compact texture, aud with a slight gloss. 
The ground colour is a sort of pale olive stone colour, or 
very slightly greenish drab, thickly freckled and mottled 
■with faint dusky clouds and streaks, which in all the eggs 
that I have seen were most densely set towards the large 
end. The dusky markings in some eggs are a sort of pale 
sepia, but in others have a distinctly purplish tinge. They 
appear, however, to be at all times dull, inconspicuous, 
and ill-defined. They vary in length from 1*1 to 1*22; 
and in breadth from 0 83 to 0-91. 
This bird is about the same size as a Quail, and really 
looks just like one as it rises amongst the rushes, and 
takes little short flights over the water, dropping suddenly 
as if shot. [A. O. H.'\ 
920. Melanopelargus episcopus (Bodd.). 
The species was not seen after leaving the plains of 
India until the plains of Yarkand were reached, and here it 
was observed on several occasions, especially in the neigh- 
bourhood of the city of Yarkand itself, frequenting marshes 
in small flocks of five or six in number. No specimen was 
preserved, but I am certain that the birds were identical 
with the common Indian species, with which I am familiar. 
[G. i?.] 
Knowing what a careful and accurate observer Dr. 
Henderson is, I entertain no doubt that he is correct in 
this matter ; but the fact of this species, hitherto only 
known from India and Malasia (includiug Java, Borneo, 
Celebes) on the one hand, and in Africa from Nubia to 
CatFraria on the other, turning up in a temperate and com- 
paratively northern locality like Yarkand, is so remarkable 
that the non-preservation of any specimen is much to be 
regretted. One thing to be said is that there is absolutely 
no other known Asiatic species for which it could have been 
mistaken. 
In Upper India this species breeds from the latter end of 
