246 FEATHERED GAME 



son. From eight to twelve eggs are laid in a 

 nest fashioned after the same classic architec- 

 ture as the rail's, — often, as in the gallinules, 

 on the anchored floating stuff of the ponds. 

 The period of incubation is about three weeks. 

 The young birds are very active, taking to the 

 water about as soon as they are hatched and are 

 at once able to take care of themselves. At 

 this time they are covered with a thick, black 

 down, and present a striking likeness to the do- 

 mestic chicken at the same stage of develop- 

 ment. The bill, white and showing the spot on 

 each mandible as in the adult, is even more con- 

 spicuous than in the older birds. 



These birds as a rule have less success than 

 the rails in raising their families, as they are 

 oftener in the open water in plain view of the 

 hawks and other persecutors in fur and feath- 

 ers. 



The Mud-hen looks like an overgrown rail 

 and has many of the rail's peculiarities; also 

 its dislike of flying, though not in so marked 

 a degree. It has, too, the same labored, lum- 

 bering flight, rising as heavily and flying as 

 slowly. If forced to rise from the water it 

 splashes and spatters along for some distance, 



