THE WATER-COCK. 349 



brown ; the outer web of the first primary white ; sides of the breast and 

 of the abdomen the same deep olive-brown as the upper plumage ; flanks, 

 vent and under tail-coverts chestnut ; under wing-coverts smoky brown, 

 some of the feathers edged with white. 



Bill green, the frontal portion red ; legs pale orange-yellow ; claws 

 brown; iris crimson; edges of the eyelids dark brown. 



Length 12*5 inches, tail 2*5, wing 7'5, tarsus 2'2, bill from gape 1*5. 

 The female is rather smaller. 



The White- breasted Water-hen is extremely abundant throughout the 

 whole Province. 



It inhabits nearly the whole of the peninsula of India, Ceylon and the 

 Andaman Islands, the Indo-Burmese countries, Southern China, Siam, 

 Cochin China and the Malay peninsula, extending to Sumatra, Java, 

 Banca, Borneo, Celebes and the Philippine Islands. 



This, the commonest member of the family in Burmah, is universally 

 distributed. It frequents not only swampy localities, but is perhaps more 

 commonly found in bamboo-jungle, patches of brushwood near villages, 

 and in the tall rank hedges so common round monasteries. It has a par- 

 ticularly loud unpleasant call, more like the braying of an ass than any 

 thing else. I have very frequently found its nest in June. It is some- 

 times placed on the ground, but as a rule it will be found in some stunted 

 tree about ten or fifteen feet from the ground; it is made of leaves 

 chiefly. The eggs, generally four in number, are pale buff marked with 

 reddish brown. 



Genus GALLICKEX, Bl. 



701. GALLICREX CINEREUS. 

 THE WATER-COCK. 



Fulica cinerea, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 702. Gallinula cristata, Lath. 2nd. Orn. ii. 

 p. 779. Gallicrex cristatus, Jerd. B. Ind. ii. p. 716; Salvad. Ucc. Born. 

 p. 340 ; Bl. 8f Wald. B. Burm. p. 161 ; Kelham, Ibis, 1882, p. 186. Gallicrex 

 cinereus, Hume, Nests and Eggs, p. 696 ; id. S. F. ii. p. 300, iii. p. 187 ; Wald. 

 Tranx. Zool. Soc. ix. p. 229 ; Oates, S. F. v. p. 1G5 ; Wardlaw Ramsay, Ibis, 1877, 

 p. 471 ; Daridet Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 484 ; Hume $ Dav. S. F. vi. p. 466 ; Legge, 

 Birds Ceylon, p. 791 ; Cri^s, S.F. vii. p. 305; Hume, S. F. viii. p. 113; Oates, 

 S. F. x. p. 242. 



Description. Male in summer. Crown of the head black; lores and 

 cheeks dark brown ; the whole upper neck, back and scapulars dark brown, 

 each feather edged with grey ; lower back, rump, scapulars, tertiaries and 



