OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 83 



Family EALLID^B. Genus GALLINULA. 



Subfamily BALLING. 



WATER HEN. 



GALLINULA CHLOEOPUS (Linnaeus). 



Fulica chloropus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 258 (1766). 



Gallinula chloropus (Linn.), Macgill. Brit. B. iv. p. 547 (1852) ; Dresser, B. Eur. vii. 

 p. 313, pi 503 (1878) ; Yarrell, Brit. B. ed. 4 iii. p. 164 (1883) ; Seebohm, Hist. 

 Brit. B. ii. p. 557 (1884) ; Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. pt. xix. (1891) ; Dixon, Nests 

 and Eggs Brit. B. p. 340 (1893); Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiii. p. 171 (1894) ; 

 Seebohm, Col. Fig. Eggs Brit. B. p. 87, pi. 22 (1896); Sharpe, Handb. B. Gt. 

 Brit. p. 234 (1897). 



Geographical distribution. British: The Water Hen is commonly 

 distributed over all suitable localities throughout the British Islands, extending to 

 the Outer Hebrides and the Orkneys, but only accidentally to the Shetlands. It 

 visits the Channel Islands on migration, a few, perhaps, remaining to breed. 

 Foreign : Including allied forms, almost cosmopolitan. It occurs accidentally on 

 the Faroes, and breeds in suitable localities throughout Europe, in Scandinavia 

 up to lat. 63, in West Eussia up to lat. 58, and in East Eussia up to lat. 56, 

 becoming more sparingly dispersed towards these northern limits. At present it 

 remains unrecorded from West Siberia, but breeds' in Turkestan and the Baikal 

 district. It is also a summer visitor to Northern China, the north island of 

 Japan, but a resident in the main island of Japan and in Southern China. It is 

 also a resident in the Philippine Islands, Celebes, Borneo, Java, Sumatra, the 

 Burmese Peninsula, and throughout India, but only of accidental occurrence in 

 Ceylon ; whilst it has been recorded from the Seychelles. It also inhabits all 

 suitable parts of South-western Asia, and Africa, including Madagascar, Bourbon, 

 the Seychelles, the Atlantic Islands, and the Azores. In America it is found 

 breeding from the Southern States in the north to South Brazil in the south. 



Allied forms. Gallinula tenebrosa, an inhabitant of Australia, dis- 

 tinguished from the Water Hen by having no white stripes on the flanks, and 

 being somewhat larger. The Water Hen varies considerably in length of wing 

 and size of the frontal plate. Typical western Palsearctic examples range from 

 7 to 6J inches in length of wing, and the frontal plate barely extends as far back 

 as the eye. In all the other forms this frontal shield frequently extends beyond 

 the eye. Indian and western South African examples are smaller, ranging in 



