RALLUS. 



any great numbers, met with in various parts of Great 

 Britain, in low fituations, about water courfes aiid rivulets, 

 where it feeks (helter among fedge, ruflies, and reeds, and 

 is fcldom put to flight, depending on its legs, for fafcty. 

 When routed it flies only to fniall dillanccs, and in a heavy 

 and vei-y awkward manner, with its legs hanfrlng down. It 

 runs nimbly, and frequently fli ts up its tail. Th- nefl; is 

 made of ledi^e and coaife grals, among the thickcll aquatic 

 plants, or in willow beds. Tiie female lays fix or more 

 eggs, rather larger than thofe of a blackbird, of a pure white 

 colour. This bird continues with us all the year, and by 

 many it is crroneoufly believed to be the land rail metamor- 

 phofed in the autumn ; but the different bills which the two 

 birds have conilitute an eflential diftin6lion. 



* PoRZANA ; fpotted gallinule, or fpotted water hen. 

 This fpecies has the two middle tail-feathers edged with 

 white ; the bill and legs are of a pale olive. It inhabits 

 Europe and North America, and is generally found on the 

 fir'es of fmall dreams, hiding itfelf among the buflics ; it is 

 nine inches long. This bird is defcribed as having a greenifli- 

 yellow bill ; its irides are hazel, and head brown, fpotted 

 with black. The line ever the eyes is of a pale grey ; the 

 neck above and flanks are of a brov>-n-afli, with fmall white 

 fpots ; the back and wing-coverts are olive, with black 

 itripcs, and near the edges of the feathers with white fpots, 

 the greater with white fl;ripes and lines ; the cheeks, chin, 

 and throat, are of a pale grey, with brown fpots ; the breatt 

 is brown, with white fpots ; the belly is varied with cinere- 

 ous and white ; the vent is of an ochre-yellow. This bird 

 is extremely timid and fequeftered, and is but feldom feen 

 in Great Britain, eluding obfervation by its perpetual vigi- 

 lance and lurking habits. Its neil is formed, with fingular 

 care, of matted ruihes, and materials which will float on the 

 water, on which it remains tied, by fome filaments, to the 

 ftalks of reeds, by which it is prevented from being carried 

 away by the tide or current. The bird is in great elteem for 

 the table. 



Crepitans; Clapper Rallus. Bill and legs brown; 

 body above olive, the feathers afhy at the edges ; chin 

 white, throat and breait yellowifh-brown. This fpecies 

 inhabits New York, and is from fourteen to fixteen inches 



Fuscire ; Brown Rallus. This is brown, as its fpecific 

 name imports ; its vent is waved with white ; the legs are 

 yellow. It inhabits the Philippine ifles, and is feven mches 

 long. Tiie body beneath is light chefnut, on the belly 

 it is inclining to grey ; the tail is barred with white and 

 black. 



Striatus; Streaked Rallus. Blackifli, waved with white; 

 chin reddifli. The bill of this fpecies is of a horn colour ; 

 the crown is varied with dufl^y and bay ; the nape is bay ; 

 neck, back, (houlders, and rump, brown, wilh whitifh fpots; 

 the wing-coverts are marked with a few tranfverfe whitifh 

 Ilreaks ; the chin is of a reddifh-white ; the cheeks, throat, 

 breaft, and upper part of the belly, cinereous, with a tinge 

 of olive; the lower part is barred with dufky and white ; quiU- 

 feathers brown, the outer bands reddifli-white, the inner 

 are white ; the tail is brown with white lines ; the legs are 

 of a greyifh-brown. It inhabits the Philippine iflands, is 

 eight inches long, and is probably a variety of the philip- 

 penfis. 



ToRQUATUS ; Banded Rallus. Brown, beneath waved 

 with white ; it has a white line below the eyes. This alio is 

 found in the Philippine iiles, and is twelve inches long. The 

 bill and legs are grey-brown ; cheeks and chin black. The 

 body beneath is tranfverfely ftreaked with black and white ; 

 the collar is of a bay colour ; the quill-feathers on the outer 



edge paler ; bands within on the firft; three white, the fix next 



reddifli -bay. 



Philu'pensi.s ; Philippine Rallus. The fpecific cha- 

 ratler of this bird is brown, but beneath it is barred with 

 grey ; the eye brows arc white, and ih.e neck beneath has a 

 reddifli caft. There are three other varieties, thus defcribed: 

 1. Red-brown, fpotted and ftreaked wiili black and white ; 

 head chefnut ; body beneath and eye-brows cinereous ; this, 

 notwithflianding its name, is found at Otaheite. 2. Brown, 

 fpotted and ftreaked with white, beneath white ; eye-brows 

 grey ; the tail is barred with brown and white : this inha- 

 bits Tongataboo. 3. Above brown, beneath afliy ; b.ick 

 and wii'gs lined with white fpots ; the belly beneath is white, 

 with blackifli bars. This is about eleven inches long, and ic 

 found in the Philippine iflands. 



EcAUDATus ; Taillefs Rallus. Olive ; beneath blucifh ; 

 body tranfvM fely waved with black ; eye-brows white. It 

 inhabits Otaheite. The bill is blackifli, and the upper part 

 of the head is of a pale brown ; the orbits are black ; over the 

 eyes, on each fide the head, it has a broad white line ; the 

 body above is of a deepgloflTy olive, with a tinge of olive 

 on the flioulders ; the vent is of a pale yellow ; the tail is fo 

 fliort as to be fcarcely perceptible ; the coverts are of a pale 

 blue. 



Carolinus ; Sorce. This bird is brown ; the frontlet is 

 black ; the breaft is of a lead colour ; the bill is yellow ; the 

 legs are greenifli. It inhabits Virginia, and is from feven to 

 eight inches long : this is a capital bird for the table. The 

 irides of this bird are red ; the crown and body above are 

 brown, marked with black fpots ; the face and chin are 

 black ; but the reft of the neck, temples, and breaft, are of a 

 blueifli-afli ; the belly and outer edge of the wings are white ; 

 the wings and tail are brown. 



Phceniculus; Red-taikJ Rallus. This fpecies is black 

 but beneath it is white ; the bill and legs are greenifli ; the 

 front is naked and of a flefli colour ; the vent and tail of a 

 rufty red. It is found in the ifland of Ceylon, and is 

 about nine inches long. The bill and legs are tinged with 

 red ; the crown and cheeks are pure white ; the quill- 

 feathers are fpotted with blue. There are two varieties. 

 I. Above cinereous, beneath white ; the belly and vent are 

 red. This is an inhabitant of China, and is fifteen inches 

 long. 2. The front of this is white ; the vent is red, and 

 the legs are yellow. It is found in Madagafcar, and is longer 

 than the laft. 



V1RGINIANU.S; Virginian Rallus. Brown, without fpots ; 

 the bill and legs are brown. It inhabits Virginia, and is pro- 

 bably a variety of the R. aquaticus. 



Ferrugineus; Red-breafted Rallus. This bird is dufky 

 above, and cinereous beneath ; the neck and breaft are fer- 

 ruginous ; the bill is pale, and the legs yellow. It is nine 

 inches long ; the eye-brows are pale, and the flanks are 

 marked with tranfverfe, narrow, white lines. 



Capensis ; Cape Rallus. This fpecies is of a ferrugi- 

 nous colour ; but the lower part of the breaft, belly, vent, 

 wings, and tail, are waved with black and white ; the bill is 

 black, and the legs are of a blood-red. It inhabits the Cape 

 of Good Hope and Ceylon, and is of the fize of the R. crex. 

 The two middle tail-feathers are ferruginous. 



C.ERULEUS ; Blue-necked Rallus. This is of a bay colour 

 above, but blueilh beneath ; the bill and legs are red ; the vent 

 is white, and the belly is marked with tranfverfe black 

 ftreaks. It inhabits the Cape of Good Hope ; it is feven and 

 a half inches long. 



Zeylanicus ; Ceylon Rallus. The head of this bird it 



dufliy ; the body above is ferruginous, beneath it is reddifh, 



waved with brown ; the firft quill-feathcrs are black ; the 



3 B J bill 



