220 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



the bird with a red eye. Like all the Crakes, it is very difficult 

 to flush the second time, but dogs hunt it with the same eagerness 

 that they do the Water Rail. It has been killed on some of the 

 bogs near Cray, and its nest and eggs have been taken on the 

 Trath, near Brecon. Mr. Dilwyn Llewellyn tells me that in the 

 fall of the year he can at any time move three or four in some 

 bogs in Glamorganshire. Of course, as in the process of time 

 many of our larger bogs are drained, the area used by this bird 

 must necessarily get smaller until it ultimately has no place to 

 breed, but I bope that the county will yet afford this graceful 

 and elegant little visitor a safe breeding place for many a year. 

 May not its exceeding rarity in many parts of England arise from 

 this cause ? The late Mr. Marsh told me that he had seen it 

 twice in his life, and those were days to be marked with a white 

 stone. I never kill one now except to oblige a brother naturalist. 

 I may add that I have never seen it on any of the bogs near 

 Llanwrtyd, which bears out my observation as to its partiality for 

 particular localities. It has also been obtained near Hay, on the 

 other side of the county. 



Moorhen, Gallinula chloropus. — Very general everywhere, 

 except on our rivers and brooks. Though plentiful on the Brecon 

 Canal, and on all our lakes and ponds, especially Llangorse Lake, 

 it is hardly ever seen on bogs on the hills, preferring water where 

 it can swim and feed in quietude, and this it is unable to do on 

 rapid streams. 



Coot, Fulica atra. — Very common on Llangorse Lake, where 

 it breeds, as it does also on a few other smaller lakes in the 

 county ; but the large number of Coots that appear in the early 

 part of the winter are migrants from other parts. I think it is 

 increasing of late years, and since the Gludy Lake, near Brecon, 

 has been looked after, it has become much more numerous there. 

 This would also be the case at Llangorse Lake, but for the 

 constant fusilade which takes place there every year directly the 

 shooting season opens (August), and which must inevitably drive 

 away every bird from its waters. It is worth remarking that on our 

 deep hill-bogs the Coot is never found, and only occasionally the 

 Moorhen. On the Onllwyn Bog, before mentioned, I have never 

 seen either of these birds, and this is, I should think, the largest 

 and deepest bog in the county, as well as the most dangerous. 



(To be continued.) 



