WATER RAIL. 523 



Female. — The female is similar to the male, but with the 

 tints paler ; the red of the bill less bright, and the legs tinged 

 with green. 



Length to end of tail 11 inches ; extent of wings 151 

 inches ; bill along the ridge 1-/^. 



Variations. — In adult individuals I have not observed 

 any remarkable variations of colour. 



Changes of Plumage. — The moult takes place in 

 autumn, and is completed by the middle of November, but 

 induces very little change in the colours, which merely become 

 a little fainter towards the end of summer. 



Habits. — The Water Rail, although generally distributed, 

 is nowhere common. Various authors mention its occurrence 

 in most parts of England, and it extends to the very northern- 

 most parts of Scotland. I have even found it in the island of 

 Lewis, as well as in Harris, on both occasions in winter. It 

 frequents moist meadows, the sides of ditches, brooks, or 

 streams overgrown with sedges, seeds, and other rank plants, 

 as well as marshes, especially those abounding in the yellow 

 iris. Concealed by the vegetation it there pursues its avoca- 

 tions, never venturing into the open fields or pastures, and 

 seldom rising on wing even when close pressed, but running 

 with great celerity, and threading its way through the most 

 apparently impenetrable thickets of reeds. When forced to 

 take wing, it flies slowly and rather awkwardly, with its legs 

 dangling, and seldom proceeds far, but alights and skulks. 

 Unlike the Corn Crake, which greatly resembles it in habits, 

 it remains with us all the year. Its food consists of worms, 

 slugs, helices, lymnese, insects, and seeds of graminese. 



Its nest, which I have not had the good fortune to meet 

 with, is described by Montagu as " made of sedge and coarse 

 grass, amongst the thickest aquatic plants, frequently in 

 willow beds. In such a situation," he continues, " we found 

 one with six eggs of spotless white, and very smooth, rather 

 larger than those of a Blackbird, the shape a short oval, with 

 both ends nearly alike." By Temminck, however, the eggs 



