INDIAN WATER-KAIL 103 



Indiaiv Water-Rail. 



Rallus indicus. 



This species, with its long bill and toes, short wings, and flat- 

 sided body, is an excellent type of the rails in general ; although 

 the length of the beak and toes is variable, the general appear- 

 ance of a rail is unmistakeable in the hand, and even when at 

 large the slinking gait, flicking up of the tail, aversion to leave 

 cover, and heavy fluttering flight with legs drooping at first, mark 

 off these otherwise insignificant birds at once. 



The Indian water-rail is about as big as a snipe, but its bill 

 is shorter and stouter, though still noticeably long ; as in all rails, 

 the beak is hard and strong, not soft as in snipes. The plumage 

 is very unpretentious, but yet recognizable, with the black 

 striping on the brown upper-parts, grey face and breast, and 

 black-and-white zebra-barring of the sides. The only bit of bright 

 colour is the red at the root of the lower jaw, and even this is 

 replaced by a yellowish tint in young birds. 



This rail is simply a local race of the well-known water-rail 

 at home {Rallus aquaticus), and this Western typical form has 

 sometimes been got in the Himalayas in winter. The only 

 differences between the two are, that in the Indian bird there is 

 a dark streak running back from the eye, and a wash of brown 

 on the breast, these parts being pare grey in the Western water- 

 rail. The Indian bird itself is not a resident in India, its home 

 being in north-eastern Asia ; but it is a fairly common winter 

 visitor to the northern provinces of India, and ranges as far as 

 Arrakan. It is found in grass or rush cover on wet ground, and 

 is difficult to put up ; its food consists of small snails, insects, 

 worms, &c., but it also takes some vegetable food, seeds, leaves, 

 and bulbs. These long-billed rails may be more insectivorous 

 than the shorter-billed kinds, but rails as a family are quite as 

 omnivorous as the game birds and ducks. The breeding call- 

 note of the European water-rail is a groaning sound, called 

 " sharming " ; the Indian bird croaks like a frog, but probably 

 has a similar note in the breeding season. 



