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drop into cover. Nevertheless they 

 perform extended migrations, travelling 

 hundreds of miles without resting. 

 Gallinules live near the marshy borders 

 of bodies of v^^ater, while the more 

 aquatic Coots resemble Ducks in their 

 habits. 



This family has about 180 species, 

 of which China posesses 11, all of which 

 occur in the Yangtse Valley. 



INDIAN WATER RAIL. 



RALLUS INDICUS, BLYTH. 



DescriiJtion. — Length about 13 

 inches. Bill red and longer than the 

 bead. Legs and feet light brownish. 

 Iris red. 



Plumage above olive-brov/n marked 

 with black ; black more conspicuous 

 on head, and brown on the rump. 

 Throat whitish. Breast blue-grey 

 washed with brown. Abdomen red- 

 dish brown, flanks bordered with white. 

 Lower tail coverts are black and have 

 white edges. The wing has a white 

 edge. 



Distribution. — Siberia, China, and 

 Japan to India. It is a summer 

 visitant in the Yangtse Valley. 



Nest and Eggs. — A nest of the 

 European bird is thus described by 

 Sharpe : — " 'It was about a foot from 

 the ground, but had a solid foundation 

 under it, formed by the roots of the 

 clump of bushes, in the midst of which 

 it was built. It was carefully made of 

 flat sedge and the flat leaves of the 

 reed, lined with dry broken pieces of 

 round slender reeds. ' 



"The eggs were five to seven 

 in number, but sometimes as many as 

 eleven. Ground color creamy or 



