THE BLUE-BREASTED BANDED RAIL. 247 



Outside our limits it has been obtained in Independent 

 Burma, . Western Yunan, and Southern China generally and 

 Formosa ; in Siam, Cochin China* (Saigonf), the Malay Pen- 

 insula, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, and probably (but see note, 

 p. 245) the Philippines. 



In the early mornings, in the neighbourhood of Calcutta, 

 where alone I have been able to observe this species, it may be 

 seen running about on the grassy banks of water channels or 

 on short turf bordering on rice fields, swampy thickets, and the 

 like, but at all other times it lies concealed in wet standing 

 crops, brush-wood, in low hollows or dense herbage, often on the 

 margins of river channels, and ponds. 



It runs with great rapidky and ease, but as it feeds, walks 

 slowly along with rather a circumspect air, lifting its feet very 

 deliberately, but holding its body all the while nearly horizon- 

 tal ; every now and then it makes a little run here and there 

 to seize some favourite morsel ; then it will stand still a 

 moment and raise its head as if to listen, and again resume its 

 deliberate march, occasionally, but not nearly so often as do the 

 Porzanas, jerking its little tail. I do not think it is quick sight- 

 ed, or, if it be so, it does not look many feet above the level of 

 the ground ; for I have stood for several minutes at a time in 

 grass scarcely above my knees, watching one of these birds on 

 the open sward scarcely ten yards distant. Even raising my hat 

 silently to wipe my forehead has not caught the bird's attention, 

 but at the slightest sound, e.g., the clicking of a rupee once 

 against my gun barrel, it would give a little shrug and 

 glide, stooping low, into cover with wonderful quickness. Keep 

 perfectly quiet, and if it is still early, and the heavy dew thick 

 on the grass, in a very short space of time, just where it 

 disappeared, you will see the bird's head and neck protruded 

 from the reeds, and after a moment or so our friend re-emerges, 

 and, running to close to the spot whence he (or she) was fright- 

 ened, resumes its food-quest. 



I have seen as many as five birds thus feeding within a circle 

 of fifty yards ; but single birds or pairs are far most commonly 

 thus observed, and this is equally the case when beating likely 

 spots with dogs, when you are pretty sure of flushing all the birds 

 there are, once, at any rate. Without dogs, unless you surprise 

 them, suddenly emerging from the cover nearest to them, and 

 rushing at them, they are hard as a rule to put up, preferring, in 

 most cases, even though in the open, to depend upon their legs. 

 With dogs they rise once readily enough, but after that will 

 usually allow themselves to be caught rather than fly a second 

 time. 



* Diard 



+ Finsch and Conrad. K. K. Z.-b. G., Vienna, 1873, 4th June. 



