142 THE WORLD'S BIRDS. 



birds' eggs, while all destroy insects and other 

 small vermin. 



Captivity. — Rails do well in captivity and become very 

 tame. A few species have bred in this condition. 

 The large and beautiful blue thick-billed species of 

 Porphyrio are those most commonly kept. 



Distribution and Important Species. — Rails, of 

 which about two hundred species are known, are 

 found all over the world, even on the remotest 

 islands. Many species are migratory. Our familiar 

 Moorhen [Gallinula chloropus) and Coot {Fulica 

 atra) have very wide ranges over the Old World, 

 and are represented in America and Australia by 

 very similar species. The Land-rail or Corn-crake 

 {Crex crex) and Water-rail {Rallus aquaticus) axe 

 also widely- distributed in the Old World. In 

 India the White-breasted Water-hen {Amaurornis 

 phoenicura) is the most familiar species. In 

 America the Clapper and Sora Rails {Rallus 

 crepitans and Porzana Carolina) are well-known 

 forms and objects of sport. The former is much 

 like our Water-rail, but larger; the latter some- 

 what like a smaU Moorhen, with white stripes. 



The " Land-rail " of Australia is the beautiful 

 Philippine Rail (Hypotaenidia philippinensis) , with 

 barred breast and cinnamon-spotted quills. In 

 New Zealand the flightless Weka Rails (Ocydromus) 

 are common, and amount locally to a nuisance in 

 destroying eggs and young birds. The Wekas 

 are streaky-brown birds as big as small fowls. 

 The above-mentioned Porphyrios are confined 

 to the warm parts of the Old World, though 

 some very similarly coloured birds, much smaller 

 {lonornis), are found in America. The nearly- 

 extinct New Zealand Notornis is a huge flightless 

 Porphyrio. The Ypecaha illustrated is South 

 American. 



