BRITISH BIRDS. 149 



except a white spot under each eye ; the irides red : 

 all the upper parts of the plumage dark shining 

 olive green, inclining to brown: under parts dark 

 hoary lead grey : vent feathers black ; those on the 

 belly and the thighs tipped with dirty white: the 

 long loose feathers on the sides, which hang over 

 the upper part of the thighs, are black, streaked 

 with white : the ridge of the wing, outside feathers 

 of the tail, and those underneath, white : upper 

 bare part of the thighs red; from the knees to the 

 toes, the colours are different shades, from pale 

 yellow to deep green: toes very long, the middle 

 one measuring, to the end of the nail, nearly three 

 inches: their under sides broad, being furnished 

 with membraneous edgings, their whole length, on 

 each side, by which the bird is enabled to swim, 

 and easily run over the surface of the slimy mud by 

 the sides of the waters, where it frequents. 



The body of the Water Hen is long, and com- 

 pressed at the sides, and the legs placed far behind ; 

 its feathers are thickly set, or compact, and bedded 

 upon down. Like the Water Rail, it lives concealed 

 during the day among reeds and willows, by the 

 sides of rivers or rivulets, which it prefers to bogs 

 and stagnant pools : it can run over the surface of 

 such waters as are thickly covered with weeds, and 

 it dives and hides itself with equal ease ; it flirts up 

 its tail when running, and flies with its legs hang- 

 ing down. In the evenings, it creeps, runs, and 

 skulks by the margins of the waters, among the 

 roots of bushes, oziers, and long loose herbage, in 

 quest of its food, which consists of water insects, 

 small fishes, worms, aquatic plants and seeds. It 

 is likewise granivorous : if killed in September or 



