SPOTTED CRAKE 
19 
SPOTTED CRAKE 
Porzana fluminea fluminea 
Of the three smaller Rails, or Crakes as they are 
more usually called, this, the largest, differs from the 
Little Crake in having the under tail-coverts pure 
white instead of barred with black. Both these 
species have the back splashed with white, and this is 
the point wherein they differ from the Tabuan or 
Spotless Crake, which is of a uniform rusty-brown 
above and dark slate-grey on the under surface. I 
fear it is hardly practicable to recognise these distinc- 
tions save from museum specimens or by shooting 
the birds — the latter a thing I am very loth to suggest 
in the case of rare birds, even though it be in open 
season and quite lawful. Knowing as I do the delight 
to be derived from the sudden discovery of some 
hitherto unknown bird in its native haunts, the 
pleasurable speculations as to its identity, the interest 
of watching its movements through a good field-glass, 
I have always been averse to taking such a bird's life, 
and so depriving some one else of the chance of enjoying 
the same experiences. It may be that very few take 
interest in these things, but if there is one, it is enough. 
And I believe there still are places where, if an observer 
will choose his point of vantage and keep quiet, he 
may get close enough to a Crake to establish its 
identity by the use of glasses. 
The first Spotted Crake I saw was on April 9th, 
