NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



seldom seen. It is found principally in the beds of reeds and 

 rushes which border rivers and vleis. The nest is always built 

 among the thick reeds. It is usually composed of dry rushes. 

 The eggs vary from 4 to 5 in number, and are bright cream in 

 colour, spotted minutely with brown, more thickly at the 

 obtuse end. They are pointed at both ends and measure 1.3 

 by 0.9. The nesting season is between September and 

 November. 



Lesser Moor Hen {Gallinula angulata). (Vol. II., p. 258.) 



Description. — Male : crown of head almost black. Neck 

 slaty, becoming slaty-grey on the breast. Centre of the back 

 washed with olive-brown. Band of the wing, bastard wing, 

 and first primary edged with white. Tail black. Flanks 

 streaked with white. Median under tail coverts black ; lateral 

 white. Iris crimson. Frontal shields and culmen bright red. 

 Rest of bill yellow. Feet and toes grass-green ; often flesh 

 coloured tinged with green. 



Length., 9.25 ; wing, 5.4 ; tail, 2.25. 



The female is lighter in colour, and has a pearly-white chin. 

 The young bird is much lighter in colour than the adult. 

 Iris yellow. Bill greenish-yellow. 



Distribution. — This moor hen is found through Africa south 

 of Senegal and British East Africa. In South Africa it occurs 

 chiefly north of the Orange River. 



Habits. — The lesser moor hen is very abundant in the 

 northern parts of South-West Africa. There it is found breed- 

 ing in large numbers. The nest is built among the thick rushes, 

 and is composed chiefly of water grass. A foundation for the 

 nest is formed by bending over the surrounding stems. The 

 hollow in which the eggs are laid is comparatively deep. The 

 eggs, usually 4 in number, are pale brown, spotted and blotched 

 with dark rufous brown, chiefly at obtuse end. They measure 

 1.7 1 by 1.2 1. 



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