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Nest and Erjgs. — The nesfc of this 

 bird in India is " a bulliy platforoa of 

 straw, flags, or rushes, in the water or 

 close to it, sometimes in a bush. The 

 eggs, 5 to 9 in number, are pale stone- 

 color, spotted and speckled with red, 

 reddish brown, and purple." 



Notes. — The moorhen swims and 

 dives with ease, and feeds a good deal 

 in the water, usually keeping near a 

 convenient cover in which it takes 

 refuge on the slighest alarm. When 

 hunted, it dives and is able to remain 

 submerged for an indefinite time by 

 grasping the weeds at the bottom with 

 its claws and keeping its nostrils above 

 the surface. It feeds on worms, slugs, 

 all kinds of insects and also on 

 vegetable food. 



WHITE-BEEASTED WATER 



HEN. 



AMAURORNIS PHOENICURUS (PENN.) 

 [Gallinula phoenicura (Penn)] . 



Description. — Length 13 inches. 

 Bill green shading to red on front part. 

 Legs and feet green with yellowish 

 tinge. Iris reddish brown. 



Plumage of upper parts greyish black 

 with metallic reflections. Lower belly 

 and under tail-coverts chestnut red. 

 Forehead, sides of head, and under 

 parts white. " Outer margin of first 

 primary and edge of wing white. 

 In young birds the forehead, crown, 

 and upper parts generally are olive- 

 brown, and the white of the face and 

 under parts obscured by the dusky 

 tips to the feathers." 



Distrihution. — India, Philippines, 

 South and Central China. It is a 

 summer visitant in the Yangtse 

 Valley, common in the paddy fields. 



