MOORHEN 113 



cultivated places, but in the actual neighbourhood of houses and 

 in gardens. It is also, though at home by the waterside and not 

 averse to swimming, not so confined to watery places as most of 

 the family, but frequently seen in hedges and among crops, away 

 from water. 



It is not only the most familiar, but about the most widely 

 distributed of all our rails, living nearly everywhere within our 

 limits, even in the Andamans, where it is quite abundant. It 

 is, however, rare in the North-west and does not ascend the 

 Himalayas, though found in the swamps at their bases. Although 

 less timid than rails in general, it has all their essential character- 

 istics — fluttering flight with hanging legs, flicking up of the tail, 

 which in this case displays the chestnut patch underneath, 

 running, swimming, and perching powers, and omnivorous 

 dietary. 



The rail habit of being more heard than seen is also very well 

 developed in this species, for it is a very Boanerges among birds, 

 and can literally roar down all the other waterfowl. It generally 

 nests off the ground, on trees, reeds, &c., but makes the usual 

 style of nest constructed by rails, of grass and reeds, sometimes 

 with a twig foundation. It may commence breeding in May, or 

 do so as late as September, according to the district it lives in. 

 The eggs are spotted with reddish-brown and dull, pale purplish 

 on a buff ground, and range from four to twice that number. 

 The down of the chicks is black, and the j'oung birds in their first 

 feather are rusty above and smutty below, while retaining the 

 general pattern of old ones. This familiar bird ranges east to 

 Formosa and Celebes ; it has many Indian names : Boli-kodi in 

 Telugu, Tannin or Kanung-holi in Tamil, Kaul-gowet in 

 Burmese ; while in Oudh it is called Kinati, Kurahi in Sind, 

 and Kureyn by the Gonds. 



Moorhen. 



Gallinula cJiloropus. Jal-murghi, Hindustani. 



The familiar moorhen of home waters is also not uncommon 

 in India, though not so familiar or widely distributed as the 

 white-breasted water-hen ; its scarlet forehead-patch and white 



