III. THE DABCHICKS. 1 47 



defining characters ; and when we find an 

 entirely similar disposition of plumage, and 

 ,-nearly the same form, in two birds, I do not 

 think that mere difference in size should far 

 separate them. 



Bewick, accordingly, calls the water-rail the 



* Brook-ouzel,' and puts it between the little 

 crake and the water-ouzel ; but he does not 

 say a word of its living by brooks, — only * in 

 low wet places.' Buffon, however, takes it 

 with the land-rail ; Gould and Yarrell put it 

 between the little crake and water-hen. 

 Gould's description of it is by no means clear 

 to me : — he first says it is, in action, as much 

 " like a rat as a bird ; " then that it " bounds 

 like a ball," (before the nose of the spaniel); 

 and lastly, in the next sentence, speaks of it 

 as " this latJiASke bird " ! It is as large as 

 a bantam, but can run, like the Allegretta, on 

 floating leaves ; itself, weighing about four 

 ounces and a half (Bewick), and rarely uses 

 the wing, flying very slowly. I imagine the 



* lath-like ' must mean, like the more frequent 

 epithet 'compressed,' that the bird's body is 

 vertically thin, so as to go easily between 

 close reeds. 



