GALLINULA. 163 



Murray, Avif. Brit. Ind. ii. p. 643, No. 1332.— The Brown and Ashy 

 Crake. 



Above olive brown ; the rump ashy brown ; wings and tail dusky ; wing and 

 lower tail coverts deep brown ; chin white ; throat, breast, and belly ashy brown ; 

 flanks olive brown. Bill greenish ; iridesred brown; legs and feet livid purple. 



Length.— \\ inches; wing 7 ; tail 3-5; bill at front 175 ; tarsus 2. 



B'a^.— Central Provinces, in Sumbalpoor and Raipoor ; also Guzerat, Chota 

 Nagpoor, Bengal, N.-W. Provinces, Oudh and the Punjab Cis-Sutlej. It 

 also occurs in the south eastern portions of Rajputaua (Bhurtpore), the 

 Sambhar Lake, Ajmere, and Mount Abu. In Upper India, Hume says, it is 

 common in the Duns, Terais and Bhabars that skirt the mountain bases of 

 the Himalayas. It is less aquatic in its habits than any of the other Crakes, 

 being often seen on stony ground in the open, though not very far from 

 water ; does not affect swamps so much as it does thin grass along the 

 margins of clear water streams. Breeds from May to August, nesting in 

 bushes, grass, or bulrushes, along the margins of small streams or ditches. 

 Eggs, 6—8 in number, a pale salmon white ground covered with blotches, 

 spots and specks of reddish brown. They average from 1-4 to r6 inches 

 in length and 0-99 to i'i5 in width. 



Gen. Gallinula.— ^z-^^^. 



Bill moderate, curved slightly at the tip; nostrils in a groove, placed about 

 the middle of the upper mandible; bill extending on to the forehead and form- 

 ing a small shield ; shoulder of wing with a tubercle or spur ; toes very nar- 

 rowly edged by membrane. 



Gallinula chloropus. The Water or Moor Hen 



202. Gallinula chloropus {Lvm.), Jerd., B. hid. iii. p. 716, 

 No. 905 ; Hume, Nests and Eggs Ind. B. p. 397 ; id.. Sir. F. i. p. 250; iii. 



