34 RALLID^. 



rows, and thick bushes ; roosting in firs, thorn-trees, and 

 others that are covered with ivy, feeding probably on the 

 berries. Mr. Jesse mentions, that, during the frost of the win- 

 ter of 1832, a pair of Water-hens kept ahriost entirely in a 

 large arbutus-tree, on the lawn of a house belonging to a lady 

 at Hampton Wick, Avhich was enclosed by a high paling, and 

 no pond was near it. Here they probably fed on the berries 

 of the tree, and other produce of the garden. The tree, how- 

 ever, was always their place of refuge if they happened to be 

 disturbed when feeding in the garden. 



W^hen the ice disappears, Moor-hens return to the ponds. 

 When the bird is in good condition the flesh is well flavoured. 



The Moor-hen is rare in Denmark and Sweden, but is said 

 by Pennant to inhabit Russia and part of Siberia. It is 

 very common in Germany, Holland, France, Spain, Pro- 

 vence, and Italy. Dr. Heineken includes it among the Birds 

 of Madeira ; Mr. Joseph Clarke mentioned to me having 

 seen skins from Africa; and Dr. Andrew Smith brought spe- 

 cimens from so far south as the vicinity of the Cape. Mr. 

 Strickland saw this bird at Smyrna in winter : it has been 

 found at Trebizond, and in the countries between the Black 

 and the Caspian Seas. 



The male has the beak yellowish green; the base of it, and 

 the naked patch on the forehead, red ; irides reddish hazel ; 

 the back, wings, rump, and tail, rich dark olive-brown ; head, 

 neck, breast, and sides, uniform dark slate-grey; outside of 

 the thighs and the flanks streaked with white ; belly and vent 

 greyish white ; under tail-coverts white ; above the tarsal 

 joint a garter of red ; legs and toes green ; the claws dark 

 brown. 



Mr. Gould mentions that he has seen females that were 

 more vividly coloured than males. 



The length of the Moor-hen is about thirteen inches. 



