The Watek-rail.- 



-BIRDS.- 



-The Coot. 



AlO 



Btatcd, run over the floating aquatic plants, and others 

 swim and dive with ease. Their food consists of 

 worms, small moUusoa, and insects, but they also eat 

 a good deal of vegetable matter. We may commence 

 with those forms which are represented in Britain. 



THE WATER-RAIl {Rallus aquattcus)— Plate 28, 

 fig. 106 — is an abundant species in many parts of 

 Europe, but does not occur very commonly in England, 

 where, however, it is a constant resident. In the north 

 of Europe it is a summer visitor. This bird frequents 

 marshes, where it dwells amongst the dense beds of 

 reeds, rushes, and other herbage. Through these the 

 compressed form of its body, which, indeed, is common 

 to all the species of this family, enables it to pass with 

 great facility, so that it can hardly be driven from its 

 cover by any means. It is also able to swim and dive 

 well. The nest consists of a mass of sedges and coarse 

 grass, collected amongst the thickest herbage of its 

 haunts. The appearance of the Water-rail is well 

 shown in our figure. Its bill is longer than in most 

 other species of the family, and the whole length of the 

 bird is nearly a foot. 



THE LAND-RAIL {Crex pralensis), which is also 

 called the Corn-ckakb, is a common visitor to Britain, 

 arriving here towards the end of April. It resem- 

 bles the Water-rail in its general appearance, but 

 is nearly two inches shorter, and has a much shorter 

 bill. The Land-rail is abundant all over ICurope, 

 and also visits Northern Africa in the winter. It 

 haunts damp meadows and the borders of rivers, and 

 is also commonly found in corn-fields, from which its 

 curious cry of crek, crek, crek, may be constantly 

 heard in the dusk of the evening. The food of this 

 bird consists of worms, slugs, insects, and even small 

 rrptiles, and its flesh is regarded as exceedingly good. 

 Its nest, which is placed on the ground in a field of 

 thick grass, clover, or corn, is composed of dried herb- 

 age, and usually contains from seven to ten eggs. The 

 female sits very close ; indeed, an instance is recordeil 

 of her head bemg cut off by mowers. When in 

 danger, and unable to escape, the Land-rail will feign 

 death in the most perfect manner, and persist in this 

 simulation until it gets an opportunity to steal away. 

 Several other Crakes or Land-raUs are met with in 

 tills country. They all visit us in the summer. Other 

 species are dispersed in all parts of the world. 



THE GALLmULE {GaUinula chloroinis)—?Ut<i 28, 

 fig. 108. — The Gallinules are distinguished from the 

 preceding species by having the ridge of the upper 

 mandible dilated at the base into the form of an oblong 

 plate, of rather soft consistence, which covers more or 

 less of the forehead. The}' are all aquatic in their 

 habits. The hinder toe is more developed than in the 

 preceding species of this family. The common Gallinule, 

 ]\Ioor-hen, or Water-hen of this country is generally 

 distributed over the Old World, always inhabiting 

 marshy places. The Gallinule swims and dives with 

 great facility, and is rarely seen except on the water, 

 along which it moves with a nodding motion of the 

 head, probably corresponding to the strokes given by 

 the feet. It picks up most of its food while thus 

 swimming about, and obtains some also by diving 

 to the bottom of the water, but in the morning and 



evening not unfrequently wanders to the damp mea- 

 dows in its vicinity in search of worms, insects, and 

 slugs. Occasionally this bird perches on the branch 

 of a tree, and it has even been known to place its nest 

 upon a branch hanging close to tlie surface of the 

 water; but the nest is generally made on the ground 

 amongst reeds and other heibage. The eggs are 

 usually seven or eight in number, and the birds pro- 

 duce two or three broods in the season. In winter the 

 Gallinules frequent running water, which is not liable 

 to be frozen over, and in severe winters they take to 

 hedge rows and plantations, and appear to feed on 

 berries and seeds. 



THE COOT [FuHca atra), which is very nearly allied 

 to the Gallinule, is distinguished from it by the broad 

 membranous lobes with which the toes are bordered 

 on each side The base of the upper mandible is 

 dilated into a frontal plate. The Coot is considerably 

 larger than the Gallinule, measuring abr.ut si.\teen 

 inches in length ; its colour is a sooty black, with the 

 tips of the secondaries white, forming a narrow band 

 across the wing ; the bill is flesh co'our, with its frontal 

 dilatation white, and the feet are dark green. This 

 bird is \videly distributed in Europe and Asia, and per- 

 forms a partial migration towards the north in the 

 summer. It frequents large open sheets of water, and 

 is very watchful in its habits ; for which reason other 

 water fowl are said to be exceedingly fond of associ- 

 ating with it. It swims and dives well, and is acti\e 

 and lively on land ; it even perches and moves about 

 the branches of trees with great ease. 



THE SULTAJTA BIRD {Porphyrlo pulveruhntus) — 

 Plate 28, fig. 107. — The species of the genus Por- 

 jihyrio are very nearly related to the Gallinules, which 

 they resemble in most of their characters. They are 

 distributed over most parts of the world, principally 

 in the warmer regions; only one species, and this a 

 native of Africa, occurs in Europe. In their habits 

 they resemble the Gallinules. The species figured 

 is a native of Southern Africa, where it is met with on 

 the banks of rivers. 



THE JACANA (Parra Jaccwa). — The Jacanas differ 

 from the preceding species in the form of tlie bill, 

 which is more or less arched towards the tip, and in 

 the great length and acuteness of the claws, especially 

 those of the hinder toes. The wings also are armed 

 with spurs at the bend. The olaw of the hind toe is 

 perhaps more elongated in the present species than in 

 any other. It is an inhabitant of Brazil, where it fre- 

 quents the rivers, and runs by means of its elongated 

 toes over the floating leaves of the aquatic plants. At 

 the base of the bill there is a large dilated plate stand- 

 ing up in front of the forehead, and a sort of wattle-like 

 prominence occupies the base of the lower mandible ; 

 the head and lower surface are black, and the upper 

 parts chestnut. Its length is about ten inches. 



THE CHINESE JACANA [Parra sinensis)— VMe 27, 

 fig. 104— is an example of a difterent group of these 

 birds, which some ornithologists have elevated into a 

 genus, under the name of Hi/droiJhasianus. It is des- 

 titute of the frontal plate at the base of the upper 

 mandible. Several other species are found in America, 

 Africa, and Southern Asia. 



