SPOTTED CRAKE. BAILLON's CRAKE. WATER HEN. 183 



Hugh Doyle, was obtained by its unwillingness to take flight. 

 Surprised by two small cockers in a marshy and sedgy reed- 

 bed, tufted with aquatic plants, it ran before them, and after 

 some time was observed to spring up and fly into a matted 

 clump of reeds, where it appeared so fatigued as to allow itself 

 to be captured by the hand. 

 Habitat Northern Africa. 



SPECIES 175 BAILLON'S CRAKE. 



Crex Baillionii. Selby. 

 Poule (Teau Baillon. Temm. 



THE rarest in its occurrence of the entire family of the Ralli- 

 dse, this beautiful little crake has only occurred in a single 

 instance, and is in the possession of the same gentleman 

 to whom we are indebted for the first notice of the squacco 

 heron occurring in this country. 



Obtained in a bog at Clay Castle, near Youghal, in Cork, 

 in a situation so favourable to its appearance that the spotted 

 crake had been obtained on two occasions, it was captured 

 in October, 1845. 



Its habits are believed to be similar to those of the two pre- 

 ceding species. 



Habitat Southern Europe. 



GENUS XC GALLINULA (WATER HEN). 



SPECIES 176 THE WATER HEN. 



Gallinula chloropus. Lath. 

 Poule cT eau ordinaire. Temm. 



Moor Hen. 



THE WATER HEN is a common species, and one widely dis- 

 tributed over the island, in any locality suitable to its habits. 



Not particular in its choice of place, it indifferently betakes 

 itself to the river-side, or the wet bottoms of the hedgerow. 

 Its favourite haunt, however, is the vicinity of the mill-dam, 

 few of which, no matter how closely they approach the city, 

 are untenanted by a pair. 



Leading us gradually from the swimming form of the 

 Waders to the more complete form of the Natatores, entirely 

 adapted to the water, we see the water hen living for the 

 most part upon the water, yet possessing, in the highest de- 

 gree, the characters of the order to which it belongs, in its 

 motions and habits when on land. Although of plain, unob- 

 trusive colours, the water hen is yet a handsome species ; 



