GRALLATORES. FULICA. 191 



liable to accident, being, from their close situation to the 

 water's edge in brooks and rivers, often carried away by the 

 summer floods. -Slugs, worms, and insects, with various ve- Food, 

 getables and seeds constitute their food. I have kept these 

 birds in good health, when in confinement, upon a diet of 

 grain, earth-worms, and raw meat. Their flesh is of pale 

 colour and delicate flavour, and is in some parts held in high 

 estimation. 



PLATE 31. represents an adult bird in the breeding season. 



Base of the bill, and frontal shield red ; the tip wine- General 

 yellow. Irides red. Legs and toes fine olive-green, tkm!^" 

 The naked portion of the tibiae of a fine vermilion-red, 

 and commonly called the garter. Head, throat, neck, 

 and under parts blackish-grey, margined upon the belly 

 and abdomen with greyish- white. Flanks with large 

 longitudinal streaks of white. Upper parts of the body 

 of a very deep oil-green. Ridge of the wings, and un- 

 der tail-coverts white ; the latter being divided by se- 

 veral black feathers. Quills and tail greyish-black. 



The female is rather less than the male ; and in her the 

 colours of the bill and garter are not so bright ; but in 

 other respects similar. 



The young have the throat and fore part of the neck Young, 

 white. Front and checks a mixture of brown and 

 white. Sides of the neck yellowish-brown. Breast and 

 sides ash-grey, tinged with brown ; the belly paler. 

 Flanks with yellowish-brown longitudinal streaks. Un- 

 der tail coverts cream-yellow. Upper parts blackish- 

 grey, tinged with dark oil-green. Legs dirty olive- 

 green. Bill olive-green, darker towards the base, and 

 the frontal shield but slightly apparent, being almost 

 hidden by converging feathers. 



