THE RAIL FAMILY 159 



band of ash grey passes over and behind the eye ; 

 the face, fore-part, and sides of neck Hght yellowish- 

 brown, tinged with grey. The sides and breast barred 

 with light red and white ; quills and primary coverts 

 light brown ; the outer webs tinged with light red ; 

 legs and feet flesh colour. Length, from bill to tail, 

 eleven inches. 



Female. — Similar to male, 



THE MOORHEN. 

 {Gallinula chloropus^ 



Male. — The bill greenish-yellow beyond the 

 nostrils, the base and frontal plate crimson red. 

 The iris, which at a little distance looks red, is 

 composed of three rings : the outer hazel, the 

 middle dusky, and the inner bright red. Head and 

 neck deep dark greyish-blue, the belly a paler 

 grey. Some of the long side feathers are banded 

 with white. The back and smaller wing coverts 

 are deep olive brown ; quills and primary coverts 

 dark brown ; the secondaries tinged with olive. 

 Tail blackish-brown, under tail coverts white ; legs 

 and feet green, tinged with yellow, with a ring of 

 bright red above the tarsal joint. Length, from bill 

 to tail, fourteen inches. 



THE BALD COOT. 



(jFulica atra.) 



Male. — The bill pale red at the base, white at 

 the end ; the frontal plate bluish-white. The 



