RAIL TRIBE 



extreme south-west and comparatively rare in Wales, while it visits 

 Ireland only in very limited numbers, occurring chiefly in May and 

 June, but also to a less extent in Sei)tcmbcr, the district from Wexford 

 to Kerry being the most noted for this bird. North of the H umber it 

 also becomes rare, and to Scotland it is only a straggler, although 

 specimens have been taken in the Hebrides and Orkneys. Beyond 

 the British Islands the species ranges over a large part of Europe, and 



extends eastwards at least as 

 far as Baluchistan, Afghanistan, 

 and eastern Turkestan ; while 

 its southern winter -range in- 

 cludes Africa as far south as 

 central Abyssinia. 



The habits of the turtle- 

 dove conform generally to those 

 mentioned above as character- 

 istic of the group to which it 

 belongs ; but this species appears 

 to prefer less open country than 

 that which some of its Asiatic 

 relatives frequent, as it is gener- 

 ally found in coverts and plan- 

 tations, where it takes great pains 

 to find a secure spot for its nest. 

 The fact that a single speci- 

 men was once taken in York- 

 shire affords no valid claim to 

 the inclusion of the rufous turtle- 

 dove {Turtur orientalis) in the 

 British list. Neither can the passenger-pigeon of America {Edopistes 

 iiiigratorius) be thus honoured, despite the fact that at least five 

 individuals have been taken on our shores, although it is doubtful if 

 any one of them arrived there by its own unaided efforts. 



THE ROWLAND WARD STUDIOS 



TUKTLE-DOVE. 



Water Rail 

 (Rallus aquaticus). 



With the shy, skulking, and seldom -seen water- 

 rail, we come to the first and typical representative 



of the fourth " order," or suborder, of British birds, 

 which is therefore popularly known as the rails, and scientifically as 

 the F"ulicariai (from the technical name of the coot), or, sometimes, as 

 the Ralliformes. It should be mentioned, however, that the rails are 

 sometimes grouped with the herons and bustards, under the name of 



