THE RAIL FAMILY 159 



band of ash grey passes over and behind the eye ; 

 the face, fore-part, and sides of neck light yellowish- 

 brown, tinged with grey. The sides and breast barred 

 with light red and white ; quills and primary coverts 

 light brown ; the outer webs tinged with light red ; 

 legs and feet flesh colour. Length, from bill to tail, 

 eleven inches. 



FEMALE. Similar to male. 



THE MOORHEN. 



( Gallinula chloropus. ) 



MALE. The bill greenish-yellow beyond the 

 nostrils, the base and frontal plate crimson red. 

 The iris, which at a little distance looks red, is 

 composed of three rings : the outer hazel, the 

 middle dusky, and the inner bright red. Head and 

 neck deep dark greyish-blue, the belly a paler 

 grey. Some of the long side feathers are banded 

 with white. The back and smaller wing coverts 

 are deep olive brown ; quills and primary coverts 

 dark brown ; the secondaries tinged with olive. 

 Tail blackish-brown, under tail coverts white ; legs 

 and feet green, tinged with yellow, with a ring of 

 bright red above the tarsal joint. Length, from bill 

 to tail, fourteen inches. 



THE BALD COOT. 



(Fulica atra.) 



MALE. The bill pale red at the base, white at 

 the end ; the frontal plate bluish-white. The 



