590 MOOR-HEN 



bright in the spring of the year, and a red garter on the tibia of 

 the male render him very showy. Though often frequenting the 

 neighbourhood of man, the Moor-hen seems unable to overcome the 

 inherent stealthy habits of the Rallidse, and hastens to hide itself 

 on the least alarm ; but under exceptional circumstances it may be 

 induced to feed, yet always suspiciously, with tame ducks and 

 poultry. It appears to take wing with difficulty, and may be 

 often caught by an active dog; but, in reality, it is capable of 

 sustained flight, its longer excursions being chiefly performed by 

 night, when the peculiar call-note it utters is frequently heard as 

 the bird, itself invisible in the darkness, passes overhead. The 

 nest is a mass of flags, reeds, or other aquatic plants, often arranged 

 with much neatness, almost always near the water's edge, where a 

 clump of rushes is generally chosen ; but should a mill-dam, sluice- 

 gate, or boat-house afford a favourable site, advantage will be 

 taken of it, and not unfrequently the bough of a tree at some 

 height from the ground will furnish the place for a cradle. The 

 eggs, from seven to eleven in number, resemble those of the COOT, 

 but are smaller, lighter, and brighter in colour, with spots or 

 blotches of reddish-brown. In winter, when the inland waters are 

 frozen, the majority of Moor-hens betake themselves to the tidal 

 rivers, and many must leave the country entirely, though a few 

 seem always able to maintain their existence however hard be the 

 frost. The common Moor-hen is widely spread throughout the 

 Old World, being found also at the Cape of Good Hope, in India, 

 and in Japan. In America it is represented by a very closely- 

 allied form, G. galeata, so called from its rather larger frontal helm, 

 and in Australia by another, G. tenebrosa, which generally wants 

 the white flank-markings. Both closely resemble G-. chloropus in 

 general habits, as does also the G. pyrrhorrhoa of Madagascar, which 

 has the lower tail -coverts buff instead of white. Celebes and 

 Amboyna possess a smaller cognate species, G. h&matopus, with red 

 legs ; tropical Africa has the smallest of all, G. angulata ; and some 

 more that have been recognized as distinct are also found in other 

 more or less isolated localities. One of the most remarkable of 

 these is G. nesiotis, the " Island Hen " of Tristan da Cunha (Proc. 

 Zool. Soc. 1861, p. 260, pi. xxx.), which has wholly lost the power 

 of flight concomitantly with the shortening of its wings and a 

 considerable modification of its external apparatus, as well as a 

 strengthening of its pelvic arch and legs. 1 The same is to be 

 said of the "Mountain Cock" of Gough Island, the Porpliyriornis 

 comeri of Mr. Allen (Bull Am. Mus. N. H. iv. pp. 57, 58), who 



1 A somewhat intermediate form seems to be presented by the Moor-hen of 

 the Island of St. Denys, to the north of Seychelles (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 1036 ; 

 Trans. Norf. <L Norw. Nat. Soc. iv. p. 552, note), hitherto undescribed, and 

 accordingly now named by me Gallinula dionysiana. 



