send up for my use; and the description and .measurements,
to be hereafter given, were taken from that bird. In its
habits, food, and nesting, this u species resembles that last
described, laying , seven or eight oval-shaped eggs very similar
in colour, markings, size, and shape, to that of Crex pusilla.
. Mr. Selby says, it is well known in the neighbourhood - of
Boulogne, on the|opposite; coast, where .it annually breeds
in the marshes ; it is found besides iri several provincesof
France. M. Bailloirhas found it in the marshes of Picardy4
it is seen occasionally in Switzerland, at Genoa, and through*
out Italy. Mr. Joseph Clarke sent mé Word he had seen
specimens from Africa.; and Dr.'A; Smith brought, examples
in his collection formed at the Cape, and in southern African
M. Temminck say's that Skins sent from Japan do not differ
from those obtained in Europe.
In thè adult malè thé beak is green, thé base red ; irides
red I top of the head, and back of-the neck,_cloverhrown ;
centre of the back, and the scapulars, black* with numerous
spots and streaks of pure white; . wingtcoverts and tertials
clove-brown, spotted and streaked withrpure white; primaries
dark brown, the outer, web of the first quillrfeather edged
with white; upper tail-covërts and taikfeathersHove-brown;
throat, cheeks, sides, and front of thè neck, breast and belly;
uniform lead-grey"; vent and.under tail-coverts the same, but
tipped with white; legs arid toes flesh colour.
The female has both mandibles green at the point, pale
reddish browri at the base ; irides crimson-red; neither the
black colour on the centre of the “back, or on the Scapulars,
or the white, spots upon the black, are so pure in colour as
the same parts in the males; nor are the white spots so numerous;
the chin white ; legs, toès, and daws, in the preserved
specimen, pale brown; all the other parts as in thé
adult malë.;
The whole, length six .inches arid -a half. Froth the carpal
joint to the end of the wing four inches; the first and the
sixth quill-feathers equal in length, and shorter than the
fourth or the fifth; the second and third feathers equal in
length, and the longest in the wing: the length of the tarsus
one inch and one eighth ; the length of the middle toe and
elaw one inch and firVe-eighths.
The young male belonging to Dr. Thackeray, the use of
which has been allowed me for this work, and which was
killed in the month qf January, is. to all appearance a bird of
the previous season, pot having quite attained the niature
plumage, the. chin being still greyish white, and the lead-grey
colour* ©f the front of the neck, breast, and belly being varied
with- patch^:-.q||;pale buffy brown and bars of greyish
■whites- In still younger birds, before their first autumn
moult, thé neck, breast, and under parts are pale buffy
white mixed with light brown.
"There is reason to suspect that the Little Crake and Bail-
Ion’s Crake have been sometimes confounded. As particular
marks of distinction,- it may be mentioned, that -the Little
Crake exhibits but a few white marks on the centre of the
back, and sometimes on the scapulars, but never on the wing-
coverts ; in Baillon’s Crake, o n 'th e contrary, these white
marks are very nuirierotis, occupying several distinct situations,
namely, the central space on the back, the scapulars,
wing-coverts, and tertial feathers on both sides. These white
marks, placed on a black ground, forming the centre of each
feather, are Seri conspicuous and brilliant as to have led M.
Temminck originally tp- devote the term stellaris to this species;
but he subsequently proposed to substitute Baillonii
for stellaris, as a compliment due to the celebrated naturalist
of Abbeville; and this latter proposition has been received
and adopted.'