556 BRITISH BIRDS. 



Genus GALLINULA. 



The genus Gallinula was established by Brisson in 1760 in his ' Ornitho- 

 logia ' (vi. p. 3), and is one of those genera which are additional to those 

 of Linnaeus, who associated the Waterhens with the Coots in his genus 

 Fulica. The Waterhen (the Gallinula gallinula of Brisson) is the type. 



The Waterhens may be distinguished from the Coots by the absence of 

 the broad scolloped membrane on the toes, and the much smaller frontal 

 shield or bare space on the forehead at the base of the bill. The tail is 

 very short and rounded, and consists of twelve feathers. 



This genus contains about sixteen species, which are distributed through- 

 out the world, with the exception of the Arctic Region. Only one species 

 is found in Europe, which is a common resident in the British Islands. 



The Waterhens frequent the borders of lakes, ponds, swamps, and 

 sluggish rivers, haunting the dense growth of flags, reeds, and other 

 vegetation. They are skulking birds, and when alarmed often conceal 

 themselves by diving; they swim well, progressing in a jerky manner; 

 they walk about the land gracefully, and they perch in trees and bushes 

 with ease. They are slow fliers, and when walking about have the 

 habit of jerking their short tails. Their food consists of slugs, worms, 

 insects, the seeds of water-plants, herbage, grain, and berries. Their 

 call-note is loud and harsh. They make bulky nests of aquatic vegetation, 

 placing them amongst reeds, flags, &c., or even in the branches of trees ; 

 and their eggs are numerous, of a buffish ground-colour, spotted and 

 blotched with brown and grey. 



