was evidently breeding (Ibis; 1882, p. 578). Beyond this
point its African range is unknown.
In its food and general habits this Olivaceous Crake
resembles the Spotted and other Crakes, but; according to
Mr. Hume’s experience, its tastes are more exclusively insectivorous
than those of Baillon’s Crake, The same observer
states that he never flushed birds of this species, from sedge
or reed, but found them running about over, or swimming
from leaf to leaf of the lotus and water-lily, exhibiting far
lpss timidity than the smaller species. He also saw* one
bird voluntarily diving several times, apparently- in,-search
of food, and not for safety. *
Naumann says that the Iiittle, Crake is. mo re partial to-sopen
patches of water than Baillon’s Crake, and will even boldly
show.itself, uttering its loud defiant c a ll-n o te ,^ , Uk^Mh
Dr. Kutter, who found several nests of this species on a
pond near Gottbus, Nieder-Lausitz, describes./pne as Iwell
concealed, rather flat in form, carefully constructed "of dry
flag-leaves, and raised about a -foot above the surface ofr-the
water J a second, rather rudely built on dead aquatic
herbage, was only a few inches-.from the water; Whilst a
third was composed of dry Sedge-grass.* The eggs;-appear
to be "seven or eight in number, of an oval form, rather
larger and paler than those of Baillon’s Crake :' light-dlive
brown in colour, flecked with darker brown, and measuring
about 1*1 by *85 in.
In the adult male the beak is green, but red at the base;
the irides red j top of the head, back of the neck, and
upper surface of *|jhg.:* body generally, | ,pliye*brown; vjthe
centre of *~ the , back broadly flecked with black, with ,a^ery
few white marks, but no white marks on the wing-co^erts
or quill-feathers ;- the primaries dark clove.-brown on both
webs (without any white outer margin to the first,.as-in
ijpl -tertials dark brownish-black in the; centre,
with broad olivaceous margins; upper tail-coyerts and tail-
fathers dark brown'; the" chin grey } sidefeofcjthe head, the
neck jjq fronts ^ie breast and belly,. uniform slate-grey; the
* Journal fiir Ornittologie, pp;-334$-341.
feathers of the flanks dark brown; those of the thighs, vent,
and the under tail-coverts slate-grey, spotted with white;
legs and toes green. The whole length is about eight inches.
From the carpal joint to the end of the wing four inches
and one-eighth; the second and third quill-feathers nearly
equal in length, and much longer than the first,
The female is^smaller than the male, and differs in having
the space round the eye pearl-grey fop of the head, sides
and back of the neck, pale brown; the chin white; the
neck in front, breast and belly, fulvous buff colour ; flanks
and under tail-coverts greyish-brown, with white spots forming
bands. The young are. still paler on the under parts,
and more streaked on the flanks.
The chicks are at f i r s t covered with black down. The
young bird figured below was presented by Captain Bond,
VOL. III.