08 BIRDS. PRESSIROSTRES. Rallus. 



Oni. Diet., Article Grosbeak)^ it was " in the habit of attending a fanner's 

 yard, whither it had come of itself, and associated with his poultry." 



rilESSIROSTRES. 



Gen. LIX. RALLUS. Rail.— Bill produced, longer than 

 the head, with the under mandible even at the symphysis. 



128. R. aquaticus. Water-Rail. — Breast ash-coloured; 

 wings dusky, with the base white. 



Win. Orn. 234. Linn. Syst. i. 1G2. Penn. Brit. ZooL ii. 284. Temm. 



Orn. ii. 083 E, King of the Quails, llunner, Velret-runner, Oar- 



cock, Bill-cock, Skiddy-cock, and Brook-owzel ; W, Cwtiar Station- 

 ary. 

 Length 10, breadth IG inches ; weight 4 ounces. The biU is an inch and 

 three quarters long at the gape, above and tip of the lower mandible black, 

 the remainder of the latter and edges of the former, together with the inside 

 of the mouth and irides, reddish-orange. Margin of the eye-lids narrow and 

 greenish-black. The upper mandible is the longest, depressed at the base, 

 slightly wrinkled across, with the feathers forming a projecting angle on each 

 side. I^egs dusky, bare three quarters of an mch above the knee, regularly 

 plated in front and I'eticulated behmd. The toes are slightly webbed at the 

 base of the two external ones, and ]ilated above. Plumage, above, black, each 

 feather broadly bordered with olive-brown. The tips of the shafts of the 

 front feathers are destitute of webs and are even a little swollen and spinous, 

 as in tlie Corncrake. The cliin, a spot under each eye, and the lores grey- 

 ish-white. The throat, neck, and breast bluish-grey, belly orange-white; 

 the sides black, barred with white, the tips orange. Wings dusky, the mar- 

 gin white, the outer webs of the quills narrow, the inner broad; the first 

 short, the second and third longest. Tail of 12 feathers, dusky, with olive 

 margins. The female has a shorter bill, and is paler in the colour.— Nest of 



grass, among aquatic plants. Eggs 6, wliite. Young like the female Food 



worms, slugs, insects, and snails. Runs nimbly, flirts up its tail, exhibiting 

 the white under-covers — Does not migrate. 



Gen. LX. ORTYGOMETRA. Crake.— Bill conical, 

 shorter than the head, with the under mandible forming 

 an angle at the symphysis. 



129. O. crex. Corncrake. — Cheeks cinereous, wing-covers 

 reddish-chesnut. 



Will. Om. 122. Sibb. Scot. 16 — Ballus crex, Linn. Syst. 261 Crake 



Gallinule, Penn. Brit. Zool. ii. 487 GaUinula crex, Temm. Orn. ii. 



686. — E., Daker-hen, Bean-Crake ; 5', Corn-crake ; W, llhegen yr yd; 

 G, Gearradh gort, Treun re treun.— A common summer visitant. 

 I^ength 11, breadtli 10 inches ; weight 7 ounces. Bill one inch in the gape. 

 Upper mandible rounded above, compressed at the sides towai'ds the base. 

 Irides brown ; the margin of tlie eyehds greenish-black. Legs brownish, 

 plated before and behind, reticulated on the sides. Plumage, above, blackish- 

 brown, each feather witii a broad j'elloAvish-bi'own margin. The first quill 

 short, the second and third ne.irly of equal length. Tail of 12 feathers. The 



