BIRDS OF DUMFRIESSHIRE 351 
Glenhowan (i.e., the Smith family of Glenjaan, Glencairn) 
as ommous of the most fatal disasters, and was feared and 
persecuted accordingly. " This superstition arose from its 
voice having once been heard immediately contiguous to 
the house, a few hours previous to the demise of " a former 
laird.* 
In winter this species visits Arabia, and in Africa is found 
as far south as Natal and sometimes Cape Colony, 
THE SPOTTED CRAKE. 
Porzana maruetta (Leach). 
An uncommon summer-visitant. 
Sir Wilham Jardine, writing of the birds of the parish 
of Applegarth and Sibbaldbie in 1832, says " The Spotted 
Galhnule, or water-crake {Crex porzana), is found around 
Perch-HaU Loch "f ; and in 1842 he writes : " In a marsh 
m our own vicinity it may be always met with, if carefully 
looked for ; but we have often run it for twenty minutes 
before a dog, previous to its taking wing ; and it wiU often 
creep into some hole or matted parcel of grass, rather than 
rise a second time." Sir Wilham goes on to describe the 
plumage of the species from a " specimen shot at Jardine 
HaU in the month of July,"{ which is probably the same 
as that recorded in the Catalogue of the Birds contained in 
the collection of Sir William Jardine. The Spotted Crake 
arrives here in April, and departs in autumn, at which 
season specimens are occasionally picked up below telegraph- 
wires against which the birds have flown. It is of 
extremely secretive and skulking habits and is therefore 
generally supposed to be much rarer than it is. 
* Traits of Scottish Ufe, 1830, Vol. II., p. 149. 
t New Stat. Acct. Scot., Vol. IV., p. 181. 
/ t Nat. Lib., 1842, Vol. XII., pp. 334, 335. 
