THE COMMON WATERHEN. 331 



they may be observed in all parts of it, especially plundering the 

 paddocks in which waterfowl are kept. On being approached 

 they make off with great celerity, running up the latticed wire- 

 work that surrounds the enclosure with singular facility, which 

 they are enabled to do by means of their long toes. Being for 

 the most part pinioned, they could not otherwise get out of the 

 paddocks." 



December 6, 1849. — We very rarely see any variety in the 

 plumage of this bird; but a fresh specimen pied with white 

 came under my notice to-day at Mr. Glennon's, Dublin. Its 

 neck was nearly all white ; about one-third of the upper portion 

 of the wings next the back was also of that colour. The lower 

 part of the neck and breast exhibited as much white as black : all 

 the other parts of the plumage had white intermixed with the 

 ordinary black colour. 



In a pond at Kew Park, connected with the Royal Botanic 

 Garden, the surface of which is covered with Potamogeton natans, 

 I once (in September 1846) remarked several of these birds, on 

 my approach, run along the surface of the floating leaves as freely 

 as on dry land, thus reminding me of what is stated of the 

 Jacana* 



* Martinico Gallinule. Gallinula Martinica, Gmel. A communication 

 from Richard Chute, Esq., of Blennerville, county Kerry — a gentleman who has 

 contributed much to our knowledge of the hirds of that part of Ireland — written in 

 March 1846, mentioned his having received for examination a stuffed specimen of a 

 bird which had in a fresh state been blown upon the coast near Brandon. It was 

 said to be of a species unknown as British, and not described in any work to which 

 he had access. A description of it was therefore sent to me. The dimensions of 

 the different parts, and the colour, so far as noted, agreed with those of the purple 

 gallinule {Porphi/rio hyacinthiuus, Temm.) of authors. After having conxpared the 

 description of the specimen with one of these birds in the British Museum, and 

 found an agreement there also, I noticed the circumstance in the 'Annals of Natural 

 History ' for 1846 (vol. xviii.) 



Mr. Wm. Andrews (Secretary to the Nat. Hist. Society of Dublin), to whom the 

 Martinico gallinule was known, subsequently saw the specimen at Mr. Chute's, and 

 stated that it was of this species. He kindly supplied me with particulars, leaving 

 no doubt of the correctness of his decision. 



It is unnecessary to repeat the sources of error further than to state that the bird 

 was considered immature, and its tarsi were said to be of a red colour. Being so painted, 

 my correspondent naturally imagined that they had been red when the bird came 

 into the preserver's hands ; but, as afterwards proved, they were then yellow. It 

 was found about the first week of November 1S45, lying dead in a ditch near the 

 village of Brandon, which is on the sea-coast. It came under the inspection of Dr. 



