clove-brown, spotted with white; primaries dark brown,- the
outer web of the first quill-feather edged with whiteupper
taibcoverts and tail-feathers, clove-brown throat,'cheeks,
sides, and front of the neck, breast, and belly, uniform
lead.grey; flanks, vent,- and under tail-coverts boldly banded
and spotted with black and white; legs and.toesrflull olive."
The- female has the chin nearly white, and the under parts
generally paler; the tertials more streaked and barred with
white, and even the tips of the primaries are- faintlyi spotted.
The whole length is six inches and a half. From the
carpal joint to thé end of the wing four inches"; thé"-second
and third feathers equal in length, and the,- longest- in ".the
wing ; 'the length of the. tarsus oneinchandTone-&ighth';
the length - of the.‘middle toe and claw one inch and-five-
eighths.
■ The young male which belonged to Dr. Thackeray was killed
in the month of January, and wasdo all appearance-a bird
of.the previous season; not- baVingquite attained thë'raature
plumage, the chin--being still greyish-white, and 'the lead-
grey "colour of the-front of’.the neck,-breast, and belly fling
varied with patches of pale buffy brown and bars oftigreyish-
white; In still , younger -birds, -before- their =first: aufesiUn
moult, the necky^breast, and under parts are-pale buffy
white mixed with light: brown. §
As particular marks ;'of ^distinction' .betwoen-|tftb%^tWo
small- species, it may be mentioned; that theiDittlë' Crake
exhibits but a few white - marks on the centrev©f ',the-4aek,'
and sometimes -the. scapulars,' fe t never-; on the -wingcoverts
; in Baillon’s Crake,. onaffe; contrary' these-white
marks are very numerous, occupying1 several ‘ distinct -sitUa-
tions, namely-,, the central space on" th e , back'..thee scapulars,
wing-coverts, and 'tertial .'feathers ©nboth-sideu: inBaillon’s
Crake, -atso'/dbe* outer -web'-of the first primary-is white,
qr mottled white;-|É j the^liittleiCrake itósnmvaned; brown,
except" when:» the 'feather Jtselff is'^ impoverished, by-age and
atmospheric influences. >
Ballus AQUATieusy Linnaeus.*
THE WATER BAIL.
. Ralfys.
Ralius, I S s o l f .—Be at Jtmgp 'thange-head/slender, su b tly H R !
compressed at the*base; cylindrical at R point; upper mandible grooved at the
sides, -lostrrls lateral, »pierced longitudinally W £tfee lateral P®;rtly
covered by ^membrane. Legs long and ftkpng, with a small naked space above
the joint"; three to.et beforehand one
'origin, the ! tin t toe articulated upon the tarsus. Wings moderate, rounded ;
the first quill-feather much shorter than theseeond, the third and fourth qmtl-
feathers the longest in the wing, | *.
The ^Tater Bail, t^ug|iVell known as a- species/appears,
to Je-less abundant than ,it re^H|y i s : the habits of the bird,
and the nature of the„ local|ties it frequents, increasing; the
difficulty of observation.1 m s fbundin thumarshy
of this B B B S I
tation o f fejsj shallow pools, and wat|rconrj.|^ fr°m which
it can scarcely be driven Jo Jake wing. If obliged to fly , o
save “itself from being caught b f an eager dog in 'close
||^0_rnirhologie, * Syst. Nat. i. p. 262 £1715$-). v. p. 'i51j(17,6.0j.'-