RAILS, GALLINULES, COOTS, JACANAS, ETC. 505 



Land-Rail. " The Rallidse have to thread their way through 

 beds of thick-set stems of reeds, bulrushes, and other aquatic 

 plants, among which they seek shelter and concealment ; or, as 

 in the case of the Land-Rail, through the tall grass of the 

 meadow ; and that so rapidly and noiselessly, that the field 

 seems traversed by magic. Hence they elude pursuit with 

 great ease, and can seldom be forced to take wing." The Rails 

 have a lengthened, slender, and slightly-arched bill. They 

 mostly seek the shelter of tall herbage; the Wafer-Rails tenanting 

 thick reed-beds, on the borders of the marshes and ponds in which 

 they seek their food ; whilst the Land-Rails^ or Crakes frequent 

 the fertile meadows, and feed on vegetables and seeds as well 

 as on worms and insects. The Gallinules, or Moor-Hens, are 

 more exclusively aquatic in their habits ; and are able not only 

 to swim with facility, but even to dive. They have a short and 

 straight bill, the cutting edges of the upper mandible falling over 

 those of the lower ; and their food consists of aquatic weeds and 

 corn-grains, in addition to aquatic larvae, worms, &c. The Coots 

 have a strong, straight, somewhat conical bill; and a membranous 

 border to the toes. They swim and dive with great address, 

 and are not inactive on land. The British species is very gene- 

 rally spread over temperate Europe ; and is particularly abundant 

 in Holland. It frequents large sheets of water, on the very 

 edge of which it builds its nest ; and migrates in the winter, 

 when the inland waters are frozen, to the saline marshes, estua- 

 aries, &c., of our southern coasts. The Jacanas and Screamers 

 of tropical climates, are usually placed in this family ; though 

 sometimes separated into a distinct group. They are remark- 

 able for the great length of their toes, and of their spine-like 

 claws, especially that of the hinder toe. Yarious species of the 

 Jacana, which in contour and habit resemble our Moor-Hen, 

 are spread over the tropical regions both of the Old and New 

 World. They are very light birds ; and the wide surface over 

 which their toes extend, enables them to walk over the 

 floating leaves of plants with great facility, so that they really 

 seem as if they were treading upon water. The Screamers, 

 which are confined to South America, are remarkable not merely 



