162 RALLID^. 



meat. In a day or two it became perfectly tame, and would 

 eat out of his hand. More recently Mr. F. D. Godman ob- 

 tained a specimen, taken in October, 1867, in 46° 48' N. lat., 

 and 11° 30' W. long., or well outside the line of the Bay of 

 Biscay. 



The food of this species is w^orms, snails, slugs, with 

 some vegetables. Dr. Fleming mentions having seen the 

 stomach of one that was filled exclusively with the young 

 snails of Helix lucida. One of these birds, which Mr. 

 Selby kept for some time, was fed entirely with earth-worms, 

 upon which it continued to thrive, till an accident put an end 

 to its life. It refused bread and the larger kinds of grain. 

 In confinement this bird is observed to jerk its tail up while 

 walking, like the Common Moor-hen ; and I have heard of 

 one that had so far conquered its timidity as to have become 

 pugnacious. 



During the nesting-season the birds are very noisy, utter- 

 ing a loud and somewhat explosive cry. The nest, which is 

 well concealed, is made of sedge and coarse grass, amongst 

 the thickest aquatic plants ; sometimes in willow beds. The 

 eggs are of a cream-coloured white, with small specks of 

 ash-grey and reddish-brown, measuring about 1'4 by 1 in. 

 The usual complement appears to be about seven ; but 

 clutches of ten and even eleven eggs have been found. 

 Mr. A. H. Evans obtained eggs, which were slightly 

 incubated, from East Norfolk so early as April 8th 

 (Zool. 1879, p. 268) ; and on the 1st May, 1863, Mr. H. 

 Stevenson was shown three young Water Rails in black 

 down ; nests with eggs are also frequently found in June 

 and July, so that it appears probable that two broods are 

 produced in the season. 



The beak of the adult male is red, one inch and three- 

 quarters in length ; the irides hazel ; top of the head, neck, 

 back, wing-coverts, and upper surface of the body generally 

 olive-brown : each feather nearly black in the centre, with 

 broad brown margins ; primaries dusky ; tail-feathers also 

 dusky, with olive-brown margins ; cheeks, chin, sides and 

 front of the neck, and the breast, lead-grey ; the sides and 



