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ORD. I. GENUS IX. RAIL. 



Bill, (lender, a little compreffed, and flightly incurvated. 



Nostrils, fmall. 



Tongue, rough at the end. 



Body, much compreffed on the fides. 



Tail, very fhort. 



SPECIES I. WATER RAIL. 



PI. 190. 



Rallus Aquaticus. Lin. Syji. I. p. i6z. 

 Le Rale d'eau. Brif. Orn. V. p. 151. 



This is a well known bird: in length, twelve inches; breadth, fixteen 5. 

 weight, four ounces and half. The bill is an inch and three quarters long, 

 dufky above, and at the point, reddifh below, and at the bafe. The eyes, red. 

 The plumage is of a reddifh olive-brown above, with a fpot of black in the 

 middle of each feather : all the under parts are afh-coloured ; but on the lower 

 belly, thighs, and vent, the feathers have reddifh yellow edges: the fides of the 

 body are elegantly marked with tranfverfe bars of black and white : the quills 

 dufky : under tail coverts, white : tail feathers, black, tipped with ruft-colour : 

 legs, dufky red : toes, long. 



It is pretty common every where about ponds, where there is much fhelter 

 of weeds, or the like : feeding on aquatic infects, worms, and a few aquatic 

 plants. It flies with the legs hanging down. It makes its neft among the 

 weeds on the edges of ponds or rivulets. For the egg fee PL XLI. Fig. 2, 





