108 GALLINULINJE. 



These birds inhabit marshes, moist meadows, the sides 

 of lakes and rivers ; make their way with ease among the 

 tall herbage, from which they are not easily raised ; have 

 a heavy but rather quick flight, during which they extend 

 their feet backwards ; form a bulky nest on the ground, 

 and lay numerous ovate or oblong spotted eggs. They 

 are more numerous in warm climates, but are generally 

 distributed. 



FAMILY XXXVIII. GALLINULIN^E. GAL- 

 LINULINE BIRDS, OR, WATER-HENS, 



Body large, much compressed ; neck of moderate 

 length ; head small, oblong, compressed. Bill moderately 

 stout, and of ordinary length, but varying from short to 

 long, always compressed, and rather strong, with the point 

 narrow, but obtuse. Both mandibles concave within, the 

 lower more deeply ; the palate flat, and papillate ; tongue 

 fleshy, oblong or slender, with a few short papillae at the 

 base, the tip thin, obtuse, and lacerate ; oesophagus of 

 moderate capacity, without crop or remarkable dilatation ; 

 proventriculus oblong ; stomach a powerful gizzard, like 

 that of a Gallinaceous bird, with very large, distinct 

 muscles, and thick rugous epithelium ; intestine long, of 

 moderate width ; coaca long ; rectum dilated into an ellip- 

 tical or globular cloaca. Nostrils direct, pervious, in the 

 fore and lower part of the nasal groove. Eyes rather 

 small, eyelids feathered. Aperture of ear roundish, and 

 rather small. Legs stout ; tibia bare to a considerable 

 extent ; tarsus large, compressed, anteriorly scutellate ; 

 toes very long, slender, free ; the first very small, the 

 anterior long, the inner shorter than the outer ; claws 

 generally long, little arched or straight, compressed, acute. 

 Plumage blended, but firm, on the head very short ; the 



