iSALLtNtJLA. 263 



'Top of head, nape and back of neck dusky olive broWnj back, 

 scapulars, tertiaries, wing-coverts and upper tail-coverts shining olive 

 brown j primaries, secondaries and tail dusky brown» the outer web 

 of the 1st quill white j a pale fulvous brown streak from behind the 

 nostril on each side to the eye, and a patch of the same colour on the 

 side of the head including the ear-coverts; under each eye a white 

 spot; chin and throat white; breast dark bluish ashy, the feathers 

 tipped with pale or dirty fulvous ; lower abdomen white ; vent feathers 

 black ; under tail-coverts white ; feathers on the flanks long and lax, 

 those falling on the thighs pale brown with a mesial white streak ; bill 

 reddish at base, greenish yellow at tip ; irides red, an orange garter 

 above the knee. 



Length. — 12 — 13 inches, wing 6'76, tail 3, bill at gape I'l. In 

 mature plumage the entire head and neck are dark brown, almost black, 

 and the upper plumage darker olive brown. 



Hah. — Diffused throughout India, Central and South Europe, Africa 

 and Java. Occurs also in Beloochistan, Persia, Afghanistan, Eastern 

 Turkistan, Nepaul and Cashmere, affecting small rivers and marshes. 

 In the dhunds and jheels in Sind, also in the Deccan, Guzerat, and 

 Eajputana it is extremely common, swimming about freely. During 

 the day, on retreating to the edges of the tanks or dhunds, it lives 

 concealed among the reeds and rushes. It is less shy towards evening, 

 when it creeps along the margins of the waters among the long reeds 

 in quest of aquatic insects, worms and seeds ; breeds in Sind from 

 June to August. The nest is a large structure of withered reeds and 

 rushes, placed near the brink of the water; the female lays from 4 to 6 

 eggs ; in shape they are long, oval or ovate pyriform, of a stone 

 colour, with a pinkish tinge, speckled, spotted and blotched with reddish 

 brown or red. It is said that the female never quits its nest without 

 covering her eggs with the leaves of the surrounding herbage. The 

 young are able to swim immediately they are hatched. 



Gallinula phcenicura, Penn. ; P. B. 896 ; Eorsf. Zool. Bes. 

 Java, pi. ; Jerd. B. Ind. iii. 720; Sir. F. ii. 300 ; Murray, EdbJc, Zool., 

 ^c, Sind, p. 223. (Eurrahee, Sind). — The White-beeasted Watek- 

 Hen. 



Forehead, lores, entire face, chin, cheeks, throat, neck, breast and 

 abdomen white ; crown of the head, nape, neck behind, back, scapulars, 

 wings, flanks and tail black, with greenish reflections ; outer web of 

 first quill white ; lower abdomen, vent and under tail-coverts deep 

 chestnut ; bill yellow with a tinge of green ; irides blood red. 



Length. — 12 — 13 inches, wing 6'5, tail 2*5, bill at front 1'5. 



Hah. — Sind and throughout the Indian Peninsula, Ceylon and 

 Burmah. In Sind not uncommon along the canals and the Indus. 

 Breeds from May to August. Eggs greyish, with a light reddish tinge, 

 spotted and blotched with various shades of red and bluish grey, afiects 

 generally the heavy undergrowths along the edges of canals. 



