182 Order XII 



habits are even more retiring than those of the Spotted 

 Crake ; the flight, food, and cry are not dissimilar ; 

 but the nest is generally found near smaller pieces of 

 water, and the eggs resemble those of the Little Crake 

 in being yellowish brown with dark brown blotches 

 and streaks. The colour of the plumage above is brown 

 with small black and white spots, the cheeks and lower 



Coot 



parts are blue-grey, the flanks barred with black and 

 white. 



The Moor-hen or Water-hen (Gallinula chloropus), 

 though it appears black, is really very dark brown 

 with equally dark grey lower surface ; the yellow bill 

 backed by a red plate on the forehead, the greenish 

 legs with their red " garters," and the white under 

 tail-coverts being other noticeable features. Except 



