521 



RALLUS AQUATICUS. THE WATER RAIL. 



BILCOCK. RUNNER. SKIT. SKIDDY-COCK. 



Fio. 47. 



Eallus aquaticus. Linn. Sys. Nat. I. 262. 

 Rallus aquaticus. Lath. Ind. Orn. II. 755. 

 Rail, or "Water- Rail. Mont. Orn. Diet. 

 Rale d'eau. Rallus aquaticus. Temm. Man. d'Orn. II. 683. 

 Rallus aquaticus. Water Rail. Flem. Brit, Anim. 98. 

 Common Rail. Rallus aquaticus. Selb. Illustr. II. 172. 

 Rallus aquaticus. Water Rail. Jen. Brit. Vert, An. 217. 

 Rallus aquaticus. Bonap. Comp. List, 53. 



Plumage above olivaceous, streaked with brownish-black ; 

 fore neck and breast didl greyish-blue ; sides and haunches 

 barred with brownish-black and white ; abdomen pale reddish- 

 yellow ; proximal lower tail-coverts white, the rest banded with 

 black. 



Male. — The Rail is about the size of the Corn Crake, and 

 nearly of the same form, its body extremely compressed, its 

 head small and very narrow, its wings flattened to its sides, 

 its bill and feet also compressed ; in short, it looks as if it had 

 been squeezed almost flat, and we cannot choose but admire 



