556 GALLINULA CHLOROPUS. 



near the water. When pursued, it shews great adroitness in 

 keeping its body beneath the water, leaving only its bill ex- 

 posed, so that it may obtain the necessary supply of air until 

 its enemies are past. In such cases I have more than once 

 caught it by dragging it out of the water by the feet, when I 

 have been trammelling for tench or carp. When domesti- 

 cated it becomes pugnacious, and will drive away domestic 

 poultry from their feeding-places, manifesting a disposition 

 widely different from -vvhat might be expected from the 

 timidity which it evinces when in its native liberty." 



Young. — When fully fledged the young have the bill 

 oil-green, without any red ; the exposed part of the tibia of 

 the same colour ; the tarsus and toes as in the adult. The 

 upper part of the head and the hind-neck are dull greyish- 

 brown ; the sides of the head the same, mottled with greyish- 

 white ; the chin of the latter colour ; the throat mottled with 

 that and dark greyish-blue. The breast and sides are pale 

 purplish-grey, the white marks on the latter duller than in 

 the old bird ; the abdomen greyish-white ; the lower tail- 

 coverts yellowish-white ; the central black feathers lighter. 

 The upper parts, quills, and tail are nearly as in the adult, 

 but paler. 



Progress toward Maturity. — After the first moult the 

 red of the bill and legs appears, and the bird assumes the 

 colours of the adult ; but the lower parts are much paler, 

 most of the feathers being tipped with whitish, and the head 

 is still tinged with brown. At the second autumnal moult 

 the colouring is complete, although still not so pure as in 

 older birds. 



