COMMON GALLINULE. 333 



averse from flying, unless when anxious to remove from one lake or stream 

 to another, when they rise fifty or sixty feet in the air, and fly with ease 

 and considerable velocity, by continued flappings, the neck and legs 

 stretched out. At all other times when raised, they suffer their legs to 

 dangle, proceed slowly to a short distance, and drop among the reeds, 

 or, if over the water, they dive and hide, leaving nothing but the bill 

 projecting above the surface. 



The young in autumn have not attained their full size ; their colours 

 are much duller than those of the old birds, particularly the stripes on 

 the flanks and under the tail, which are of a dull cream colour instead of 

 being pure white. The frontal plate is small, and almost covered by the 

 feathers around it ; the legs and feet are of a dingy green, and the red 

 band on the tibia is scarcely apparent. In spring they acquire their full 

 plumage, but the frontal plate increases in size for several years. 



There are great difi'erences as to size between birds of both sexes. 

 The male from which I drew the figure in the plate, was of an average 

 size, having been selected from a bagful procured expressly for the pur- 

 pose. Our Gallinule corresponds so precisely with that of Europe, that 

 I cannot hesitate in affirming that it is the same species. 



Gallinula chloropcs, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 770. 



Gallinula galeata, Ch,. Bonaparte, Amer. Ornith. vol. iv. p. 128. pi. 27- fig- 1- 



Florida Gallinule, Gallinula galeata, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 223. 



Adult Male in Spring. Plate CCXLIV. 



Bill shorter than the head, nearly straight, rather stout, deep, com- 

 pressed, tapering. Upper mandible with a soft oblong plate at the base 

 extending over the forehead, the dorsal line beyond this plate straightish 

 and slightly declinate as far as the middle, then arcuato-declinate, the 

 ridge rather narrow, the sides nearly perpendicular, towards the end 

 slightly convex, the edges sharp, with a notch close upon the narrow ob- 

 tuse tip. Nasal groove extending to the middle of the bill, rather broad; 

 nostrils submedial, lateral, linear, direct, pervious. Lower mandible with 

 the angle long and narrow, the sides nearly erect, with a groove to the 

 middle, the dorsal line beyond the angle ascending, straight, the edges 

 sharp, inclinate, the tip narrowed, rather sharp. 



Head small, oblong, much compressed. Neck of moderate length, 

 slender. Body much compressed. Feet large, long ; tibia bare a con- 



