baii.lon’s crake. 
337 
it seems to be more abundant than in our island ; 
and has been found in those of Picardy by the na- 
turalist whose name it hears, and extends southward 
to Italy ; but we want information as to its continen- 
tal range. Out of Europe, South Africa* and Japant 
have been given to it. From the former we possess 
specimens, received at various times, which do not 
seem to vary, except in the colours being richer and 
more brilliant than in the British specimen before us. 
The upper parts and wings are yellowish-brown, 
tinted with oil-green ; on the head the centres of 
the feathers darker ; on the centre of the hack the 
feathers are black, having the outer webs without 
the yellowish-brown, and finely freckled with white, 
the appearance given is like an irregular white patch, 
interspersed with hlack ; on the secondaries and 
tertials the markings have the form of zig-zag lines, 
bordered with black ; the under parts, as far as the 
line of the legs, is nearly bluish-grey ; the colour of 
the upper parts running into it on the sides of the 
breast ; the vent, flanks, and under tail-coverts, are 
dull black, crossed with broken bars of white ; bill 
dark yellowish-green ; feet and legs yellowish-green. 
Mr. Yarrell describes the under parts of the young 
birds to be “ pale huffy white, mixed with light 
brown.” Length of our Scotch specimen about four 
inches, (perhaps slightly stretched.) Those from 
South Africa range from five and a-half to six and 
three-quarter inches. 
* Dr. Smith. + Temminck. 
Y 
