372 RAIL. 



lays an egg, and continues so to do to the number of ten, during 

 which it continually adds materials, till the nest rises to the height 

 of twelve inches, or more : the eggs are pale clay-colour, sprinkled 

 with small dark red spots ; are one inch and a half in length, and 

 one inch broad, rather obtuse at the small end. These are of ex- 

 cellent flavour; and so abundant are the nests, that one hundred 

 dozen of eggs may be collected by one man, in a day. These birds 

 frequently suffer by storms and tempests, which, by raising the 

 water in the places where they are, destroy both eggs, and sitting 

 birds. The food consists of small shell fish, small crabs, and other 

 marine insects. 



7. —TROGLODYTE KAIL. 



Rallus Australia, Ind. Orn. ii. 756. Gm. Lin.i. 717. Mus. Carls, pi. 14. 



Rallus Troglodytes, Gm. Lin. i. 713. 



Troglodyte Rail, Gen. Syn. v. '229. Id. Sup. 255. Id. Sup. ii. 322. 



SIZE of a small Fowl ; length seventeen inches. Bill reddish 

 brown, two inches long, and a trifle bent ; irides dirty yellow ; the 

 feathers of the crown, neck, back, breast, and belly, brown, margined 

 with rufous grey ; cheeks and throat cinereous ; over the eye a streak 

 of the same ; the wings very short, the coverts as the back ; on the 

 bastard wing a spur, half an inch long, straight, pointed, and lies 

 hid among the feathers ; quills brown, with transverse, ferruginous 

 spots on each margin ; vent and sides brown ; tail four inches long, 

 brown, the feathers margined with rufous grey; legs reddish brown. 



Inhabits New Zealand, particularly in Dusky Bay; are numerous, 

 and there called Water-Hens; and indeed, at a distance, appear not 

 unlike Fowls. They run swiftly, and scratch on the ground, like 

 our poultry ; from the shortness of the wings are unable to fly, nor 

 do they ever take to the water ; are chiefly met with on the sea beach, 

 and the skirts of the woods, where they pick up worms, and other 



