BAILS. 385 



Gen. Rcdlus, L. 



Beak and tarsus of same length ; beak small, long, 

 pointed, curved down, compressed throughout its whole 

 length; nasal furrow extends half way down the beak; 

 legs short ; toes long, divided ; third wing feather longest ; 

 body compressed at the sides. 



211. KALLUS AQUATICUS, L. Yatten Kail. The Water Eail. 



D. F. 



Length 10 in. ; beak If in. ; middle toe over 2 in. 

 Olive brown above, with black spots; face, breast, 

 and throat, blue-grey; sides of the body black, trans- 

 versely barred with white; beak red, with a brown 

 back and tip. The young bird is known by the white 

 throat, rusty yellow breast, with black transverse 

 bands, and the white bands on the black belly have 

 rusty yellow edges. 



I never saw the water rail in Sweden although, ac- 

 cording to Nilsson, it is met with (sparingly, however) 

 both in the north of Norway and in the south of Sweden. 

 Some appear to remain in the south all the winter. It is 

 singular that this little bird is a constant resident in 

 Iceland, where it is called " keldu svin," and according 

 to Faber's account, leads a melancholy life in the winter in 

 the neighbourhood of the warm springs. 



Gen. Gallinula, Lath. 



Beak much shorter than tarsus, straight, high, and com- 

 pressed at the sides, equally pointed above and below, root 

 above more or less bare ; nostrils much larger than in the 

 rail, placed nearly in the middle of the beak ; second and 

 third wing feathers longest ; legs and toes as in the last ; 

 tail short, nearly hidden in the coverts. 



1 . Tibia naked ; moult in spring and autumn. 



212. GALLINULA CEEX, Lath. Ang knarr. The Land Bail. 



D. F. 

 Length about 11 in.; beak from the forehead 7 1. ; 



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