56 



ORD, I. GEN. X. GALLINULF, 



SPE. II. COMMON GALLINULE. 



PI. 192. 



Fulica chloropus. 

 La Poule d'eau. 



Lin. Syft. I. p. 258. 

 Brif. Orn.Yl. p. 3. 



This fpecies is fourteen inches in length; twenty-two, in breadth; and 

 weighs about fifteen ounces. The upper part of the bill is orange red, growing 

 green toward the point : eyes, red : the filky foft feathers of the head and throat 

 are black : the neck, a very dark afhen grey : the upper part of the body, and 

 wings, fhining olive brown : the under parts of the body, dark afhen grey : the 

 fides ftriped with white : the outer edge of the wing, white : the quills, dark 

 brown : the upper and under tail coverts, white on the fides, black in the mid- 

 dle : the leg greenifh, except juft above the knee, where there is a circle of red. 



In the female the colours are paler ; and the throat, in ibme, is grey, or 

 white. 



This bird, vulgarly called the moor-hen, or water-hen, is very common, and 

 frequents the borders of rivers well ftored with aquatic plants, or weedy ponds. 

 It makes a large neft of herbs, juft above the furface of the water, among thefe 

 weeds, or on a low flump, if it can find one in a proper fituation ; and lays 

 about feven eggs: for which fee PI. XLII. Fig. 1. 



