THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
on the sides of the body and abdomen, as also the axillaries and under wing-coverts ; 
a band of ochreous-buff across the breast ; thighs buffy-white ; under tail-coverts 
black, barred with white, and tipped with sandy -buff; quills below barred with 
rufous and brown of almost equal widths, the two outer primaries more broadly 
banded with blackish, and more narrowiy with white ; bill warm brown ; feet 
flesh-red ; iris, Indian-red. Total length, 335 mm. ; culmen, 33 ; wing, 153 ; tail, 
66 ; tarsus, 39. The wing measurements of seventeen birds from the same locahty 
give — the males 143 to 153, the females 133 to 145. 
Adult female. Similar to the adult male, but slightly smaller. 
Young about eleven days old. “ General appearance sooty-black, with down of a hair-like 
texture. Breast and flanks black, barred with white. Sides of the throat and cheeks 
black, flecked with white. Iris, grey-hazel ” (Mattingley). 
Nest situated near swampy ground and placed in the vegetation. Composed of grass and 
leaves. Egg cavity, 4 inches. 
Eggs. Clutch about six. Eggs from the Dawson River, North Queensland, are smooth and 
glossy ; ground-colour creamy or buff, with spots and blotches of chestnut-brown 
over the surface, but more thickly at the larger end ; underlying spots and blotches 
of hlac-grey. Axis, 33 to 36 mm. ; diameter, 24 to 26. 
Breeding season. September to December (Ramsay) ; January (Bemey) ; February 
(Campbell). 
The Australian form is, like most Rails, extremely shy, trusting rather to its 
feet than its wings to escape its enemies. 
Mr. Tom Carter, of Western Australia, sends me the following : “ This bird 
occurs in the North and South-west of this State, but owing to its shy habits 
it is not very often seen, especially in long grass. One was shot on October 15th 
on the seashore at Point Gloats in the drought of 1891. Another was shot 
while running about the drafting yards on July 27th, 1901. Several times 
remains of birds, killed by hawks or cats, were noticed.” 
Mr. C. Belcher says : “ The Buff-banded Rail is sparsely distributed 
along the banks of the water-courses of Southern Victoria. I saw a nest 
containing eight eggs on Leopold HiU, near Geelong, in 1887. It is partial 
to tracts of marshy land covered with the shrub known as ‘ samphire.’ ” 
I am indebted to Dr. G. Horn, of Melbourne, for the following : “ This 
bird is still fairly common near Melbourne. .Unless very hard pressed it 
will never fly, trusting rather to its strong legs. The young are covered with 
a black, wiry down. Those we reared got adult plumage in about three 
months.” 
Capt. A. S. White, of South Australia, writes me the following : “ This 
bird appears very plentifully in some seasons in the Adelaide Plains in July 
and August. Their harsh cry is then to be heard night and day from the thick 
undergrowth on the banks of the River Torrens, and in the standing crops. 
They are very partial to a corn crop, where they usually build their nests. If 
the crop surrounding a nest is left undisturbed they will, even so, desert it 
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