48 PURPLE W ATE BEEN. 



the rushes. It is also, according to the same authority, easily 

 tamed, and is brought up in some countries in the poultry yards 

 among the fowls, and is contented with the same food that they 

 have. When anything is given it which is too large to be swallowed, 

 it takes it up with its foot, and so carries it to its beak, where it 

 crushes it with its hard and robust mandibles. 



I take the following from Colonel Irby's recent work on the Birds of 

 the Straits of Gibraltar: — "This bird is chiefly migratory, and is not 

 common near Tangier, passing north during the months of February 

 and March, and returning in September and October. They are 

 occasionally to be seen during the month of January, but not every 

 year. Those which remain at the breeding season construct their 

 nests in the midst of wet sedges or rushes, depositing in April from 

 three to five eggs. When these birds are moulting they are very 

 easy to obtain, as they lose all their quill feathers at once, and so 

 cannot fly." (From the M.S. of Favier, late of Tangier, which was 

 purchased by Colonel Irby.) 



Colonel Irby goes on to say, "The Purple Waterhen is on the 

 Spanish side of the Straits very irregular in its appearance, both 

 as to time and locality. In some years, during January and 

 February, they are to be seen near Gibraltar, in situations where 

 they do not occur at any other time, and are then doubtless on 

 migration. 



"In wet seasons they nest at Casa Vieja, in April, in the Soto 

 Molabingo, in which marsh I have shot them as late as the 29th. of 

 October. It is a very difficult bird to flush without a dog; when 

 they rise they make a flapping noise, and with a heavy flight merely 

 take refuge in the nearest thick patch of rushes or wet sedgy jungle, 

 whence, from being Crake-like in their habits, it is almost im- 

 possible to make them rise a second time. They are not to be met 

 with except among thick wet rushes. Some are to be found in a 

 few places at the edge of the morismas of the Guadalquiver. The 

 nest resembles that of the Common Coot; and the eggs, which are 

 richly coloured, are laid towards the end of April. 



" The gizzards of those which I have examined contained nothing 

 but vegetable matter (grass, seeds of rushes, etc.,) with a good deal 

 of coarse gravel." 



The male and female have the head, naj)e, scapularies, upper wing 

 and tail coverts, outer web of primaries, and upper tail feathers 

 indigo blue; inner web of primaries and secondaries rich hair brown; 

 cheeks, front and sides of neck, and upper part of crop turquoise 

 blue; rest of crop, abdomen, flanks, and thighs bluish black; under 



