BUSTARDS, RAILS, ETC. 101 



of R. Indictis, a shy, retiring bird never found far from ponds, 

 lakes, reed-beds, etc. and very difficult to put up. I have spent 

 half an hour or more in the attempt to flush a bird of whose 

 whereabouts to a few yards I was quite certain. At last the 

 search is successful, and the poor little frightened thing, 

 convinced at last that skulking is useless, takes to its wings. 

 What a contrast to the dart of the swift-moving snipe, the 

 spring of a teal, the bustling rush of a cock pheasant, or even 

 the whirr, from under your very foot almost, of a quail! The 

 rail flies as though his weight were lead and, from the dangling 

 of his legs, half the lead might be tied to his toes. One 

 doesn't shoot such as these except on rare occasions for the 

 specimen case. But it is interesting work to prove to them 

 that wings are really given to be used on occasion. The most 

 difficult task of this sort that ever fell to my lot, was the ' 

 discovery of a specimen of the little rail, Porzana Pygmaea. 

 This required the aid of a keen working pointer, and was at 

 last so successful that the tiny little creature did get up, all 

 arms and legs apparently, a must amusing sight, to be left 

 alone of course, almost with an apology. 



Another English bird,themoorhen,or water-hen (Gallinula 

 chloropiisjiscommon in China. I have very early recollections 

 of the moorhen, of her quiet habits, her nest amongst the rushes, 

 to which I used to wade sometimes to steal eggs and very 

 good eating they were of her power of concealment, and on 

 one occasion of the curious effect that pursuit has on her. I 

 was hunting bare-legged and bare-handed for one in a ditch, 

 and suddenly came upon her motionless as if dead. I picked 

 her up and took her to the house, and there it was discovered 

 that she was very much alive! This curious hypnotic state has 

 been commented on by many observers, but I have never as 

 yet met with any really satisfactory explanation of it. 

 Moorhens, notwithstanding their general air of retirement, 

 are quite willing to be friendly and trustful. Witness those 

 to be seen in St. James's Park in London. Two years ago, 

 I found it most restful after a hard day to go there and wander 

 about or sit watching the perfectly fearless manner in which 

 these and other retiring birds treat that portion of the human 

 race which has been truly civilized by the London police. 



A taller, and slightly bigger bird, with far longer toes, 

 is the water-cock, Gallicrex cristatus, or Gallinula cinerea. 

 He is fairly common during the warmer months, and especially 

 in spring time may be found of an evening stalking about the 

 paddy fields. He is browner in colour than the moorhen, and 

 not nearly so dark. His one ornament is a greenish yellow 

 ball of fleshy matter above the bill which shrivels up to 

 almost nothing when he is dead. He is more often heard than 

 seen, for his call is loud enough and lugubrious enough to 



