elevations of from four to six thousand feet from the Woolar
Lake in Kashmir to Bhutan. Again, it is comparatively common
in the cold season in the Duars and the entire Sub-Himalayan
belt of Tarai, Dun and Bhabar westwards from the Teesta
to the Chenab, It probably equally occurs in Chittagong,
Tipperah, Sylhct, Cachar and the whole of Assam, but the only
locality at which I know of its occurrence within this vast tract
is Shillong, where both Godwin Austen and ourselves procured
it. I know of its occurrence in several localities in
Aracan and Pegu,* but we have never found any trace of it in
any part of Tenasserim.
Outside our limits, though it occurs in Sumatra, Borneo, Java
and the Philippines,"]" we have failed to obtain it or find any
record of its occurrence in the Malay Peninsula. It has been
sent from Independent Burma, and Dr. Anderson found it common
in the marshes near Momicn, in the south-western portion
of the now Chinese Province of Yunan.
Westwards of India it is not known to occur in either Kabul,
Beluchistan, Persia, or any part of Turkestan ; but in the east, in
Japan, Formosa, and pretty well throughout China, in Eastern
Manchooria,and South-east Siberia, a doubtfully distinct species}
(P. cry t/irot borax) is found, which I am inclined to think should
be united with our bird.
IT IS only in the neighbourhood of Calcutta that I have been
able to watch this species, and there, there are small reed and
rush-fringed ponds, on the leaf-paved surfaces of which I have
in the early mornings seen as many as a dozen, tripping along
briskly here and there, picking up all kinds of insects and the
larva: of these, so abundantly adhering to the lotus leaves.
They seem peaceable and gregarious birds, never fighting or
skirmishing with each other, and, as they feed, calling softly to
each other. Their note,—the only one I ever heard to distinguish
as theirs,—was a low soft " toot, toot," but there was a much
louder cry which I often heard in the rushes and which I believed
to be theirs, as it was not that of any of the other water birds
that I knew to frequent these marshy recesses,—"keck—keek—
keek, keck, keck, keck, kya." At least that is how it sounded to
my ears, but you cannot syllablizc these calls so that others
will recognize them.
* Mr. Oates writes :—
"Centrally distributed over all the swamps of the Pegu Province. It is a permanent
resident and breeds here."
t Although the Japanese race has been said to be the bird of the Philippines
(and U /;•,))' be so of Luzon), the Marquis of Tweeddale notes that his specimens from
Mindanao and Leyte are btuefusca,
J This species is said to be distinguished by its somewhat larger size (which a
comparison of the dimensions given by Swinhoe does not confirm), longer toes, and
by the red on the breast and abdomen not descending so loiv down as in fiiica If
really sepaiable, it is extiemely closely allied to our bud.
On showing oneself softly, most of the birds glide out of
sight, to re-emerge again if no further cause for alarm appears ;
but if a gun be fired unexpectedly, some rise and fly,'—flying,
I think, rather more easily than the Spotted Crake, but still
heavily and with down hanging legs,—some dive, and some
scuttle away with extraordinary rapidity over the leafy
floor.
In most of the places where I used to find them, there was
not a square yard of clear water, and I have only once therefore
seen them swimming, and that was in an open tank near Port
Canning, in which they seemed as much at their ease as Ducks,
swimming, however, with all the characteristic jerks of the
Water-Hen tribe.
During the day they are generally to be found in the thick
herbage that fringes such pieces of water, or along the grassy
margins of wet crops, and, at any rate with dogs, seem
easier to find and flush than the others of their congeners with
which I am acquainted. Of course, like the rest, they thread
their way with great rapidity through the dense marsh growth,
as only clipper-built craft like these ever could, and always
run in preference to flying; but still I think it is easier to flush
these than any of our other Crakes.
In the case of these birds, I found that they had fed much
more on grain and seeds than from watching them at their
breakfasts one would suppose.
All kinds of aquatic insects, little moths, mosquitoes, tiny
worms, larvas of sorts, grass seeds and small grains of various
kinds, and tender green shoots or leaves (and as usual a quantity
of fine gravel) constitute the contents of their stomachs, but
in very varying proportions, not only according to localities and
perhaps individual idiosyncracies, but according to the hour at
which they are killed ; and I came to the conclusion (I give it
for what it may be worth) that in the early morning, when out
in the open, they feed chiefly on insects, and that during the day,
whilst prowling about in the reeds and rushes or in rice and
other similar crops, they feed more on seeds and vegetable
substances.
None of these birds afford any sport, none are worth much for
the table, but it is well to know that all will furnish a savoury
enough dish if, instead of plucking them, you skin them and
then soak the bodies for a couple of hours in cold water
(which should be changed at least twice) before putting them
into the stewpan, with onions and, if you can get it, sage.
Even Coots thus treated are excellent, and it is a thing well
worth knowing and remembering.
THE RUDDY CRAKE lays in suitable localities throughout the
outer lower ranges of the Himalayas during June and July