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regards Transylvania, where, Herr Csato states, it is migratory in the Strell valley. It occurs in 

 Turkey and Southern Russia, is common in winter and probably breeds in Asia Minor, and. 

 Canon Tristram says, is permanently resident in Palestine. 



In North Africa it is found in the winter. Captain Shelley states (B. of Egypt, p. 273) : — 

 " This species is a winter visitant, and is plentiful in Lower Egypt and the Fayoom, where I have 

 frequently killed it, but has not been met with, to my knowledge, in Nubia. It frequents the 

 sedgy districts, and when disturbed only flies a short distance to the neai'est patch of thick covert." 

 Von Henglin says that, according to his experience, it is one of the rarer winter visitants to Egypt, 

 and he never observed it south of the Nile delta ; but Lefevre states that it occurs near Adowa, in 

 Abyssinia. It is resident in Algeria, and breeds commonly in the marshes of Zana and Djendeli. 

 Canon Tristram met with it in the Sahara, at Laghouat ; and Favier says that it occurs on passage 

 near Tangier, frequenting the edges of rivers and swamps, where they conceal themselves in the 

 sedges. Mr. Godman did not meet with it in the Azores, and says that he possesses a skin of 

 the present species which was taken in lat. 46° 48' N., long. 11° 30' W., by the late Mr. W. 

 Osburn when on his voyage to Jamaica in October 1867. It does not appear to occur at all in 

 South Africa, being there replaced by Rallus ccerulescens, Gm. 



To the eastward the Water-Rail occurs at least as far as India and China ; but in Japan it is 

 replaced by an allied, though, as it appears to me, a fairly distinct species, Rallus japonicus, 

 Schlegel — which differs in having the dark mark through the eye more clearly defined ; and the 

 barring on the abdomen extends quite to the end of the under tail-coverts, there being no buffy 

 red and no white patch as in Rallus aquaticus. In the young bird the under tail-coverts and 

 crissum are slightly tipped with rufous buff. I have examined several examples in the collection 

 of the Marquis of Tweeddale, from Japan, and one in my own, all of which are easily distin- 

 guishable from Rallus aquaticus. 



The common Water-Rail is said by Dr. Severtzoff to be both resident and migratory in 

 Turkestan ; and in Persia, Mr. Blanford writes (E. Persia, ii. p. 288), it is " probably not rare in 

 the higher marshes ; but I do not know if it breeds there. Judging from one of the specimens, 

 which is scarcely full-grown, I should think it did. The specimens were collected by Major St. 

 John. Menetries found it in the marshes between Salian and Lankoran." 



I have not been able to examine a specimen of the so-called Rallus indicus, but agree with 

 Dr. Jerdon that it is probably identical with the European bird. According to Blyth the Indian 

 bird differs in being larger, with a conspicuously thicker bill and legs ; and he also mentions the 

 dark streak below the eye, and the less-pure hue of the lower parts, as distinctive characters. It 

 is certainly not the same as Rallus japonicus ; for Jerdon especially states that it has the lower 

 abdomen reddish brown, as in the European bird, which is not the case with Rallus japonicus. 

 Dr. Jerdon says (B. of India, ii. p. 727) : — " It appears to be rather a rare bird in Central and 

 Southern India, and has chiefly been found during the cold season, being probably migratory 

 like some of the other Rails. It frequents marshy ground, generally in rather thick covert. I 

 have only seen it myself in Northern India; and Adams states that it is common in the Punjab." 

 In China, according to Swinhoe, it is found in Tientsin; and Messrs. David and Oustalet state 

 that it is not unfrequently captured near Pekin. From the description given by the latter 

 authors (Ois. de la Chine, p. 489) it appears certain that the Water-Rail found in China is our 



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