28 



RALLID.E. 



GRALLATORES. 



RALLWX. 



'"^^M^*^ 



THE MOOR-HEN. 



Gallinula chloropus, Common Gallinule, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. ii. p. 121. 



Fnlica „ ,, ,, Mont. Ornith. Diet. 



Gallinula ,, ,, ,, Bewick, Brit. Birds, vol. ii. p. 145. 



,, ,, „ ,, Flem. Brit. An, p. 99. 



,, ,, ,, ,, Selisy, Brit. Ornith. vol.ii. p. 188. 



,, ,, ,, ,, Jenyns, Brit. Vert. p. 220. 



,, ,, ,, ,, Gould, Birds of Europe, pt. xiv. 



,, ,, Poule (Veau ordinaire, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. vol. ii. p. 693. 



Gallinula. Generic Characters. — Bill thick at the base, compressed, 

 slightly swollen towards the tip, subconic, as short as the head. Upper man- 

 dible convex, with the culmen extended and dilated, forming a naked frontal 

 plate or shield ; lateral furrow wide ; mandibles of nearly equal length ; angle 

 of the lower one ascending. Tomia of the under mandible slightly intracted, 

 and covered by the upper. Nostrils lateral, pervious, pierced in the membrane 

 of the furrow in the middle of the bill ; longitudinal and linear. Legs strong, 

 of mean length, naked for a short space above the tarsal joint ; front of the 

 tarsus scutellated ; hinder part reticulated ; feet four-toed, three before and one 

 behind ; toes long, divided, and bordered through their whole length by a 

 narrow entire membrane. Wings armed with a small, sharp, recumbent spine. 

 Plumage soft, and thick, but loose in texture ; body compressed at the sides. — 

 Selby. 



