21



THE


AVICULTURAL MAGAZINE,


BEING THE JOURNAL OF

THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY.



Third Series. —Yol. IX.—No. 1 .—All rights reserved. NOVEMBER, 1917.



SOME RAILS AND GALLINULES.


By Wm. Shore Baily.


A writer in a recent issue of our paper asks why it is that no

aviculturist has attempted to breed our English Water Rail. I think

that the answer to that is—the extreme difficulty there is in pro¬

curing these birds, and more especially in true pairs. I have never

seen them advertised by either bird-catchers or dealers, and doubt

whether they frequently come into their hands. It is possible that

some of the old-time watermen may occasionally take one or two

when snaring snipe, but these they would probably consign with the

latter to the London game dealers. Having very suitable aviaries for

this kind of bird, I should be pleased to secure a pair and try to

breed them ; but although there are always one or two on the stream

that supplies my aviary ponds, I see no chance of getting hold of

them. I have kept several varieties of Rails and Gallinules, and

have found most of them very interesting. My first were a pair of

those extremely beautiful birds, the Purple Gallinule (P. porphyrio).

At that time I had no large aviaries, and was forced to keep them in

one about 15 ft. square, with a small pond in one corner. They were

a very steady pair, and would, I have no doubt, have nested had I

kept them, but, like most of their kind, they were murderously

inclined, and would soon have exterminated the smaller occupants of

their enclosure, so I was reluctantly compelled to dispose of them. I

should like now to get them back. My next venture was with a pair

of Greyheaded Gallinules (P. poliocephahis), a slightly smaller bird



