8.4 WATER-RAIL. 



make it rise, so it drops again as soon as it can, into the 

 nearest hiding-place. It runs with remarkable swiftness in 

 its natural resorts, threading its way among the closest stalks, 

 or wading in shallow water, and can also make its way with 

 readiness over the ice, or along a rail, or on the branch of 

 a tree, as well as over the floating weeds on the top of the 

 water. It dives readily, if desirous to escape from any danger, 

 and exhibits the same flirtation of the tail that other birds 

 of its kind do when walking about. 



Its food consists of water-insects, worms, young frogs, sings, 

 small snails, and insects. One has been known to have 

 devoured a full-grown shrew mouse; and another was found 

 dead by means of a fish of the kind called Miller's Thumb, 

 which 'faucibus hsesit.' 



The nest, which is built of sedge, flags, and grass, is 

 abstrusely concealed among the thickest herbage; frequently 

 in willow-beds. Mr. Wolley mentions one which was built 

 upon rushes floating on the water, and another upon a clump 

 close to its margin. 



The eggs are covered with small specks of greyish ash-colour 

 and reddish brown, on a dull cream-coloured white ground; 

 some are almost spotless. They are from seven to ten in 

 number. 



Male; weight, from four ounces and a half to six ounces; 

 length, from eleven inches to eleven and a half, or nearly 

 twelve; bill, clear reddish orange at the base, fading into 

 dusky at the tip; the red prevails more over, or rather under, 

 the lower mandible than the upper. Iris, red; over it is a 

 streak of bluish slate-colour; head on the sides, bluish slate- 

 colour; on the crown, neck on the back, and nape, dusky 

 yellowish olivaceous brown, the centres of the feathers black 

 in an oval shape; neck on the sides and chin, greyish 

 white; throat and breast, dark bluish slate-colour, the last- 

 named barred on the sides with black, cream-colour, and 

 white, the tips of the feathers reddish brown. Back, dusky 

 yellowish olive brown, the whole centre of each feather nearly 

 velvet black, and the edges margined with brown. 



The wings, when closed, do not reach above half the length 

 of the tail the axillary feathers barred with black and white; 

 of the lesser wing coverts, a few are barred with black and 

 white; primaries, dusky brown; secondaries, dusky brown; 

 tertiaries, dusky olivaceous brown, the centre of each feather 

 black in an oval shape. The tail, of twelve feathers, is 



