Vol. XIIM 1914 J Fletcher, Field Notes on the Spotless Crake. IQQ squeak" of a lost " Tabuan " chick and the reply of the mother were heard in the school. After the scholars had gone, I walked to the edge of the swamp, and from near the crossing-place came the sounds of the family. I shpped down quietly, but they were too quick. All I saw was discoloured water and footprints in the muddy edge of the open pool. A few feathers floated on the water, and an alarm rang out. On the 23rd August four tiny nests were found in the haunt of the above pair. Each was placed low down in the heart of a sword-grass tussock. The nests measured ih inches across and i inch in depth, and were made of pieces of soft grass woven around. Three were in a radius of a few yards, the fourth some distance away. A slight track led to one. They were untouched when looked at a week later. On 6th September the fourth nest had been moved completely, the others were neglected, and a fresh one was found near the three. A week later another nest was discovered by my sister. This was placed 2 feet from the ground, in sword-grass, on the edge of the running stream, and a few yards from the bank. Some strands were bent over for a cover, and a staging led down to the water. This nest was left until the 21st September. As we approached on that date we heard the sound of the bird jumping off the nest. No chance of seeing her in that tangle. My sister peeped, and called out excitedly. " Three eggs ! " At last we had succeeded ! Though the Crake's eggs were warm I left them, to see if three constituted the full clutch. Two days passed, and, as no more eggs were laid, I took the clutch. The bird must have been brooding for four or five days. Nest measured 5 inches outside, 3 inches inside, i| inches deep. It was made of short pieces of sword-grass, with strands of same bent over for a cover. The slight platform was composed of loose ends of the same material. The eggs are somewhat lighter than those figured in A. J. Campbell's " Nests and Eggs." They are light greyish-white, with a suggestion of green in the ground colour, freckled with chestnut ; at the larger end the spots accumulate and form a brownish cap. The dimensions of the three eggs are as follows : — 1| inches x -— inch, ij inches x 1^ inch, li inches x ^'^ inch. Meanwhile, further afield, several other haunts of the Spotless Crake were found. Many nests were made before one was used, One pair of birds made nine nests, immediately deserting if one was looked at. This pair also Uved in the school swamp, and always used the fine rushes for their nests, which were frail structures 2 inches across and J-inch in depth, and of hardly any thickness. The ninth nest, containing one ^gg, was built against a tree-fern stump in a ragged tussock and under a tangle of ferns and blackberry trailers, among reeds nearly 6 feet high, standing in muddy water. I took the clutch (four eggs) on the i6th November. The eggs were of the brownish type — a uniform wash of brown. Measurements : — IttV inches x l inch, i^ inches X l inch, I j inches x l inch, i^ inches x |^ inch. The same birds
