590 



MOOR-HEN 



bright in the spring of the year, and a red garter on the tibia of 

 the male render him very showy. Though often frequenting the 

 neighbourhood of man, the Moor-hen seems unable to overcome the 

 inherent stealthy habits of the Piallidx, and hastens to hide itself 

 on the least alarm ; but under exceptional circumstances it may be 

 induced to feed, yet always suspiciouslj^, "with tame ducks and 

 poultry. It appears to take wing Avith difficulty, and may be 

 often caught by an active dog; but, in reality, it is capable of 

 sustained flight, its longer excursions being chiefly performed by 

 night, when the peculiar call-note it utters is frequently heard as 

 the bird, itself invisible in the darkness, passes overhead. The 

 nest is a mass of flags, reeds, or other aquatic plants, often arranged 

 with much neatness, almost always near the water's edge, where a 

 clump of rushes is generally chosen ; but should a mill-dam, sluice- 

 gate, or boat-house afford a favourable site, advantage A^dll be 

 taken of it, and not unfrequently the bough of a tree at some 

 height from the ground will furnish the place for a cradle. The 

 eggs, from seven to eleven in number, resemble those of the CoOT, 

 but are smaller, lighter, and brighter in colour, with spots or 

 blotches of reddish-brown. In Avinter, when the inland waters are 

 frozen, the majority of Moor-hens betake themselves to the tidal 

 rivers, and many must leave the country entirely, though a few 

 seem always able to maintain their existence however hard be the 

 frost. The common Moor-hen is widely spread throughout the 

 Old World, being found also at the Cape of Good Hope, in India, 

 and in Japan. In America it is represented by a very closely- 

 allied form, G. galeata, so called from its rather larger frontal helm, 

 and in Australia by another, G. tenebrosa, which generally wants 

 the white flank-markings. Both closely resemble G. chloropus in 

 general habits, as does also the G. pyrrhorrJioa of Madagascar, which 

 has the lower tail -coverts buff" instead of white. Celebes and 

 Amboyna possess a smaller cognate species, G. hsematopus, with red 

 legs ; tropical Africa has the smallest of all, G. angulata ; and some 

 more that have been recognized as distinct are also found in other 

 more or less isolated localities. One of the most remarkable of 

 these is G. nesiotis, the " Island Hen " of Tristan da Cunha (Proc. 

 Zool. Soc. 1861, p. 260, pi. xxx.), which has wholly lost the power 

 of flight concomitantly with the shortening of its wings and a 

 considerable modification of its external apparatus, as well as a 

 strengthening of its pelvic arch and legs.^ The same is to be 

 said of the "Mountain Cock" of Gough Island, the Forphyrio7-nis 

 comeri of Mr. Allen {Bull. Am. Mus. N. H. iv. pp. 57, 58), who 



1 A somewhat intermediate form seems to be presented by the Moor-hen of 

 the Island of St. Denys, to the north of Seychelles [Proc. Zool. Sue. 1867, p. 1036 ; 

 Trans. Norf. <L Norw. Nat. Soc. iv. j). 552, note), hitherto undescribed, and 

 accordingly now named by me Gallinula dionysiana. 



