BRITISH BIRDS. 137 



THE RAILS. 



The followino- is an enumeration of the British species :— 



Famil}' — Raliidce. 



Genus — 1. Rallies. R. aqiiatiais. Water Rail. 



2. Porzana. P. marinetta. Spotted Crake. 



3. Crex. C. pratensis. Corn Crake. 



4. Gallinnla. G. cJiloropus. Moorhen. 



5. Fidica. F. atra. Coot. 



Water Rail. — Above, the colour of this bird is brown, 

 but ever}^ feather has a dark centre, which gives a mottled 

 appearance ; the bill is long and pointed, and of a dark 

 orange colour, which is deeper in the upper than on the 

 lower mandible ; the tail is brown and unspotted ; the 

 primaries are blackish ; the chin is greyish white, but the 

 face, front of the neck, and the breast are pale slate blue ; the 

 abdomen is grey in front and buff towards the tail, both 

 parts being marked by numerous large crescentic black 

 marks. The legs and feet, which are very large, are green- 

 ish yellow^ The eye is red. Length of male. Hi inches ; 

 the female is a little less, and is some paler in colour. 



This bird is partly migratory and partly stationary in 

 Britain, where many breed each year in suitable localities ; 

 the nest is placed near water, and the eggs, about seven 

 or eight, are cream colour, spotted and speckled with grey 

 and red. 



The food consists of aquatic insects and molluscs, tad- 

 poles, small frogs, and fish, and the spawn and fry of the 

 latter ; it is very active on its feet, but a poor flyer, and yet 

 it has been met with many miles out at sea making for the 

 nearest laud. 



