WATERHEN. 557 



GALLINULA CHLOROPUS. 

 WATERHEN. 



(PLATE 23.) 



Gallinula galliimla, Briss. Orn. vi. p. 3, pi. i. (1760). 

 Fulica fusca, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 257 (1766). 



Fulica chloropus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 258 (1766) ; et auctorum plurimorum 

 (Temminck), (Naumann), (Degland 8f Gerbe), (Jerdon), (Dresser), (Sounders), &c. 

 Gallinula chloropus (Linn.), Tunst. Orn. Brit. p. 3 (1771). 

 Gallinula fusca (Linn.), Lath. 2nd. Orn. p. 771 (1790). 

 Rallus chloropus (Linn.), Savi, Orn. Tosc. ii. p. 382 (1829). 

 Stagnicola septentrionalis, I ^^ m 



Stagmcola chloropus (Linn.), I 



The Waterhen or Moorhen is a very common resident on the banks of 

 most lakes, ponds, rivers, and canals throughout the British Islands, 

 including the Outer Hebrides and the Orkneys ; but it is only known as a 

 straggler to the Shetlands. It is an accidental visitor to the Channel 

 Islands on migration, and probably sometimes remains to breed. 



The Waterhen may almost be regarded as a cosmopolitan bird. It is an 

 accidental visitor to the Faroes. In Scandinavia it breeds up to lat. 63, 

 in West Russia to lat. 58, and in East Russia to lat. 56. It has 

 not been recorded from West Siberia, but breeds in Turkestan and the 

 country round Lake Baikal. It is a summer visitor to North China 

 and the north island of Japan ; but is a resident in the main island of 

 Japan and South China. It is a resident throughout India, and has oc- 

 curred in Ceylon ; it is also a resident in the Burma peninsula, the Philip- 

 pine Islands, Celebes, Borneo, Java, and Sumatra. To the west it is found 

 in South-west Asia, the whole of Africa (including Madagascar), Central 

 and Southern Europe, and the Atlantic islands, including the Azores. In 

 America it breeds from the Southern States down to Southern Brazil, 

 and is said to have occurred in British North America. In Australia a 

 form occurs (G. tenebrosa) which appears to be specifically distinct, being 

 on an average somewhat larger, and having no white stripes on the flanks. 

 In the typical form of the Waterhen, which appears to be confined to the 

 western Palsearctic Region, the length of wing varies from 7 to 6^ inches, 

 and the frontal plate scarcely reaches as far back as the eye. All the 

 other forms have on an average a larger frontal plate, which frequently 

 extends beyond the eye. Examples from India and western South Africa 

 are smaller than those from Europe, the length of wing varying from 6 to 



