SS) 
a THE GAME BIRDS 
The succeeding three birds I admit to this 
list under protest, as I do not consider them 
game in any sense of the word, although I 
would not cast reflection upon any man who 
shoots them. Perhaps aman may be pardoned 
for taking that which is pleasing to the ar- 
tistic sense by reason of its beautiful colors 
or graceful form, as well as he who caters to 
the demands of an epicurean appetite. These 
birds are beautiful ; they are sometimes eaten ; 
they are shot, hence they are here at the 
solicitation of parties interested. 
62. *PURPLE GALLINULE. 
BLUE MUD-HEN. 
lonornis martinica. 
Color above, greenish shaded with the 
purple of the head and under parts, darker in 
belly and wings; the bill is red, tipped yellow, 
and above it is a sort of shield of blue color; 
legs yellow. South Atlantic and Gulf States, 
sometimes north to lat. 40°. Length 1 foot, 
extent nearly 2 feet. A beautiful bird with 
many of the characteristics of the Coots, and 
like them living in the marshes and on the 
edges of the ponds. 
I found one of these birds, in captivity, in 
possession of Mr. Andrew Downs, of Halifax, 
Nova, Scotia. It was captured in that place, 
and when I saw it there in 1889, was reason- 
ably tame. It would feed upon the seeds 
