266 BIRDS OF TUNISIA 



destroy young birds, which I can readily believe, for it will even eat 

 the eggs of its own kind and has been known to kill young poultry. 



In captivity it thrives on Indian-corn and grain of any description, 

 varied with lettuce and other green food, and will eat almost every- 

 thing that may be given to it. It makes good use of its feet in feeding, 

 seizing a leaf or other substance, and holding it up, as it were with a 

 hand, while it devours it at its leisure. 



The notes of the sexes vary considerably from each other ; that of 

 the male is low and sonorous, terminating with some hoarse trumpet- 

 like sounds, while that of the female is shrill and ends with a series 

 of cries which may be very fairly rendered by the syllable " crik " 

 repeated several times. During the spring months these notes are 

 heard more often than at any other season, and the birds then become 

 very noisy and clamorous. 



The Purple Gallinule commences nesting towards the end of 

 March, and the breeding-season may be said to continue until the 

 end of June, during which month I have obtained fresh eggs of the 

 species. The middle of a clump of reeds is generally selected as a 

 site for the nest, this being composed of dry rushes and other leaves 

 loosely put together, after the manner of a Moorhen's nest. Three 

 eggs are undoubtedly the usual complement of a clutch, and between 

 three and four weeks the time employed in their incubation. The 

 eggs are of a warm buff or yellowish stone-colour, with shell-spots and 

 blotches of greyish-violet and surface-markings of reddish-brown. 

 They are generally rather elongate in shape and measure from 55 to 

 60 mm. in length by 35 to 40 mm. in width. 



A few years ago I wrote a paper in the Ibis {Ibis, 1899, pp. 502- 

 605) on the breeding of the Purple Gallinule in captivity and gave a 

 detailed account of the success which I had had in rearing the young 

 of this species under these conditions. As it is the first, and so far 

 as I am aware, the only recorded instance of such an occurrence 

 (notwithstanding that this bird is easily domesticated and not uu- 

 frequeutly kept in confinement), I think it worth while to give the 

 following extract from the article in question : — 



"For some years past I have been in the habit of keeping several 

 of these birds in an enclosure in my garden near Palermo, but until 

 last year no attempt at nesting had taken place among them ; and I 

 was beginning to give up all hope of the birds breeding, when one 

 day in April last I discovered a nest with three eggs in it. After a 



