182 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 
B.—Length 12 inches or over. A horny shield on forehead 
formed by a _ backward prolongation of upper 
mandible. 
(a) Sexes alike, frontal shield rounded behind, toes 
with a narrow straight fringe. 
Gallinula chloropus (Moor Hen). 
(b) Sexes dissimilar, shield pointed behind and, in 
breeding males, prolonged into a horn, toes 
not fringed. 
Gallicrex cinerea (Water Cock). 
(c) Shield square behind, sexes alike, plumage 
blue. 
Porphyrio poliocephalus (Purple Moor Hen). 
RaLuus inpicus (Blanford, Vol. IV., p. 158 ; Legge, p. 778). 
The Indian Water Rail. 
Description —Upper plumage black with wide olive-brown 
margins to the feathers ; ashy gray above the eye, on the 
cheeks, and sides of throat ; a dark brown streak from the 
bill through the eye to the ear coverts ; most of wing quills 
dark brown ; chin white ; lower parts ashy gray, washed with 
brown on the breast; flanks barred black and white ; under 
tail coverts black, edged with white. 
Young birds have white bands on the wing coverts. 
Bill brown, the basal portion of the lower mandible scarlet 
in adults, yellowy-red in young birds. Ivis red ; legs and feet 
dull yellowish-pink. 
Length about 11; wing 5; tail 2; tarsus 1:7; bill from 
gape 1°75. Females rather smaller. 
Distribution —A rare straggler to Ceylon. The only 
specimens recorded are a few birds taken years ago near 
Ja-ela. A winter visitor to parts of India, also occurring in 
China, Eastern Siberia, and Japan. 
Habits —A shy skulking bird found in grass and rushes 
round marshes or in paddy fields. It does not breed within 
the Indian limits. 
