CEYLON RAILS, WADERS, GULLS, AND TERNS. 18] 
The family is mainly vegetarian, feeding on seeds, grain, 
and water plants, but the food in addition consists of insects, 
larvee, and the smaller forms of molluscs and crustaceans. 
The nest is generally a large rough structure of grass or 
rushes placed on or near the ground. The eggs are spotted 
with two different colours, and are usually fairly numerous. 
The young when hatched are covered with down, and can run 
and swim within a few hours of their birth. 
Within our limits are found nine species, each the sole 
representative of its genus, with the exception of Amaurornis, 
of which we have two members. The four larger species are 
resident and comparatively abundant, the five smaller are 
rare and mainly migratory, though two of them have been 
known to nest in the Island, and a third may possibly do so, 
as it is partially resident throughout its range in India and 
Burma. 
Rough Key to the Ceylon Rallide. 
I.— Bill from gape not shorter than tarsus. Length 10 to 
11 inches. 
(a) Bill slender, back streaked brown and black. 
Rallus indicus (Indian Water Rail). 
(b) Bill stouter, back brown speckled with white. 
Hypotenidia striata (Blue-breasted Banded Rail). 
I{.—Bill from gape much shorter than tarsus. 
A.—No frontal shield. 
(a) Length 7°5inches. Upper parts brown, streaked 
black, and. smeared. with white. 
Porzana pusilla (Eastern Baillon’s Crake). 
(6) Length 10 inches. Back olive-brown. Lower 
parts below breast barred black and white. 
Rallina superciliaris (Banded Crake). 
(c) Length 8 inches. Upper plumage olive-brown, 
lower parts vinous chestnut. 
Amaurornis fuscus (Ruddy Crake). 
(d) Length 12 inches. Upper plumage black, breast 
white, stern chestnut. 
Amaurornis pheenicurus (White-breasted 
Water Hen). 
