FULlCARIJi. RALLJDJS. Mr. Francis Edwards, of Brislipgton, near Bristol, sent up,
PORZANA BAILLONI (YLeillot*;).
BAILLON’Sf CRAKE.
Crex Bailfymii.
One of the oarliest, notices of the-occurrenee of this 'bird
is published in the Zoological Journal, spi.Jai. page 279, |n-
the exhibition of a specimen at the rZpqlqgical Club of'-the
Linnean Society, which belonged to Dr. Thackeray;fethe
Provost of King’s College, Cambridge,, and- which -was
caught aliv'e upon some ice' at Melbourne,* about nin©labiles
south of Cambridge, in January- 1828. In the -same
Journal,'vol. jii. p. 498, Mr. G. T. -Pox, of Durham, has
recorded another specimen of this bird, which was killed
within three jniles of Derby, in November-, 1821. The next
record is of its occurrence near Beccles, .and also at Nacton
in Suffolk (Tr. Linn. Soc. xv. p. 48)-;* In September, 1840,
* Rallus 6ailloni, Yieillot, ■Nou^.fbict.’-xxvii'i.I" ^ 5 4 8 (lSl'9)0nS
.for the use of this workman adult female of this species killed
on some marshy ground near Westo'n.-super-mare ; and two
more have occurred in Somersetshire since 1869.. Mr. Rodd
states (B. pf? Cornwall, p. 185)' that it has occurred at least
three times in that county,, and /it has probably,visited, at
irregular intervals the majority^, the southern districts.
It might naturally becoxpected that this species would. be
most abundant in Norfolk, but Mr. Stevenson states .that he
findsthe records of^Èts occurrences far more rare than those ,
of the Little Crake, j He Enumerates three examples shot
ofi Barton Fen, and one ak Dilham, originally.recorded by
the late Mr. Lubbock; one near Yarmouth, on 28rd August,
1 8 4 2 ^ 'recorded vfeyand in the'possession*'-óf Mr.- J. H.
Gurney; twob'bfaimed.in-October, 1840, and an adult.female
on 2nd June, 1874'-(^Ool. g.s. p. 4292)?. As regards the
discovery of’ -the - supposed - nest and--eggs of this bird
in Norfolk, in the summer of =1866, which- was first
announced^fhaithe^-Zoologist ’■ for that year (p. -. 389)
by Mr>-J r ’©verend, of Yarmouth, Mr? 'Stevenson gives
the -following' particulars from further inquiries* at the
time, and ^Communications received from Mr. R.* Upcher,
Mr. ©fowfoot, and 'Mr. Frer<#qf Yarmouth :-&*It appears
that the-four ’eggs mentioned''by Mr. Overênd as purchased
on the '9th;' ©r June,- were' taken on that day on Heigham
- Sounds/ near ' Hickling, by a labouring* man, who sold
them to ' a lad named^jpohn Smith, at Yarmouth, who
had been in the habit of-'collecting^ e|gs Afor Mr; -Cröw-
foöt. The former was of -.'course ’ignorant as what
theyAwere ; but as 'soon as their rarity was known,-it was
elicited'from the man- who* took -them- that" he! had seen tire
parent birds-, near^tïi'e ïhëstjïwhich. was placed in a parcel
bf^réhds growing in water about*':a * foot in depth. It was
veryf^hall and loosely '* made* cöMpöSëd of dry rushes’. , A
few ’days later Smith paid a-visit'to -the- spötjw-ith. the hope
of securing the nest, but found that the reeds had been, cut
and the iMst spoiled, and n'o^foubt the man who discovered
it was employed in leed.-cutting' at the. time. ’^jShve eggs