

 i 



WATEE-HEN 181 



a greener tint than those of the adult, and the breast and 

 abdomen are of a dull, huffish-white ; the throat is speckled 

 and the flanks are barred with dark brown. 



Nestling. Covered with black down. 



BEAK. Hed, shading to brown. 



FEET. Brownish. 



IRIDES. Light brownish-red. 



AVERAGE MEASUREMENTS. 



TOTAL LENGTH 11-5 in. 



WING ... 4-75 



BEAK T5 ,, 



TARSO-METATARSUS T5 ,, 



EGG . 1-4x1 in. 



Allied Species and Representative Forms. R. indicus 

 is the true Eastern representative, and E. ccerulescens is the 

 South African form. 



WATER-HEN. Gallinula chloropus (Linnaeus). 



Coloured Figures. Gould, ' Birds of Great Britain,' vol. iv, pi. 

 85 ; Dresser, ' Birds of Europe,' vol. vii, pi. 503 ; Lilford, 

 ' Coloured Figures,' vol. iv, pi. 61. 



The Water-hen or Moor-hen, is a plentiful and well- 

 known species, resident in almost every district of the 

 British Isles where marshes and reed-grown ponds exist. In 

 some districts, especially where game is plentiful and sport 

 active, its wary and sneaking habits recall those of the 

 Crakes and Bails. On the contrary, we find the unmolested 

 Water-hen exhibiting no mean amount of confidence 

 in man's presence ; swimming contentedly in the middle 

 of a pond, and even landing in full view on the bank 

 along which it gracefully wends its way. In captivity 

 it grows so tame as almost to feed from the hand, 

 and opportunity is thus afforded us of watching its 

 movements closely. Unlike the Crakes, it migrates very 

 little, though from lighthouses there are a few records. 

 It also differs from the preceding species in that it is 



