164 RALLID.^. 



p, 187 ; Blyth, B. Burnt, p. 162; Dresser, B. Eur. vii. p. 313, pi.; Hume 

 and Dav., Str. F. vi. p. 466; Legge, B. Ceylon p. 781 ; Murray, Vert. 

 ZooL, Stnd, p. 262; Oates, B. Br. Burnt, ii. p. 347; Murray, Avif. Brit. 

 Ind. ii. p. 645, No. 1333. Gallinula Burnesi, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xiii. p. 736. 

 —The Moor Hen. 



Top of head, nape and back of neck dusky olive brown ; back, scapulars, 

 tertiaries, wing coverts and upper tail coverts shining olive brown ; primaries, 

 secondaries and tail dusky brown, the outer web of the 1st quill white; a pale 

 fulvous brown streak from behind the nostril on each side to the eye, and a 

 patch of the same colour on the side of the head including the ear coverts ; 

 under each eye a white spot; chin and throat white ; breast dark bluish ashy, 

 the feathers tipped with pale or dirty fulvous; lower abdomen white; vent 

 feathers black ; under tail coverts white ; feathers on the flanks long and lax, 

 those falling on the thighs pale brown with a mesial white streak; bill reddish 

 at base, greenish yellow at tip ; irides red ; an orange garter above the knee. 



Length. — 12 to 13 inches; wing 675 ; tail 3; bill at gape ri. In mature 

 plumage the entire head and neck are dark brown, almost black, and the 

 upper plumage darker olive brown. 



^^3._Diffused throughout India and parts of Burmah, Central and South 

 Europe, Africa and Java. Occurs also in Beloochistan, Persia, Afghanistan, 

 Eastern Turkistan, Nepaul and Cashmere, affecting small rivers and marshes. 

 In the dhunds and jheels in Sind, also in the Deccan, Guzerat and Rajputana, 

 it is extremely common, swimming about freely. During the day, on retreating 

 to the edges of the tanks or dhunds, it lives concealed among the reeds and 

 rushes. It is less shy towards evening when it creeps along the margins of the 

 waters among the long reeds in quest of aquatic insects, worms and seeds; 

 breeds from June to August. The nest is a large structure of withered reeds 

 and rushes, placed near the brink of the water; the female lays from 4 

 to 6 eggs ; in shape they are long, oval or ovate pyriform, of a stone colour, 

 with a pinkish tinge, speckled, spotted and blotched with reddish brown or 

 red. It is said that the female never quits its nest without covering her eggs 

 with the leaves of the surrounding herbage. The young are able to swim 

 immediately they are hatched. 



203. Gallinula plioenicura {Pe?tn)., Jerd., B. Ind. ii. p. 720, 



No. 907 ; Hume, Nests and Eggs Ind. B. p. 599 ; Murray, Vert. Zool. Sind, 

 p. 263; id., Avif. Brit. Ind. ii. p. 645, No. 1334. Rallus phoenicurus, 

 Pennant in Forst. Zool. hid. p. 19, pi. ix. Erythra phoenicura, Wald., Trans. 

 Zool. Soc. viii. p. 94; Salvad., Ucc. Born. p. 34O; Legge, B. Ceylon, p. 786 ; 

 Oates, B. Br. Burm. ii. p. 348.— The White-breasted Water Hen. 



Forehead, lores, entire face, chin, cheeks, throat, neck, breast and abdomen 

 white ; crown of the head, nape, neck behind, back, scapulars, wings, flanks 

 and tail black, with greenish reflections ; outer web of first quill white ; lower 



