THE WATER-RAIL. 839 



^ggs may be found till late in season. Incubation. — No details as to 

 period or share of sexes. 



Food. — Insects and their larvae, especially coleoptera. but also 

 diptera, and Phryganeidse. Larvae of gnats frequently met with, 

 and vegetable matter, seeds, etc., in small quantities. Naumann 

 includes small mollusca. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Vagrant, but two nests and eggs 

 found Cambs., June and Aug., 1858, also two, believed to be of this 

 species, near Hickling (Norfolk), June and July, 1866, and one Sutton 

 Broad (Norfolk), May, 1889. As vagrant has occurred chiefly Norfolk, 

 but also Derby, Notts, Yorks., Suffolk, Essex, Herts., Kent, Sussex, 

 Surrey, Hants., Dorset, Somerset, Cornwall, Pembroke, Carnarvon, 

 Cheshire, Lanes., Cumberland, Durham, Isle of Man, Dumfries., 

 Wigtown, Renfrew, Sutherland, Caithness, Cork, and Waterford. 

 Chiefly spring and autumn, and exceptionally summer and 

 winter. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Central and southern Europe generally, 

 north to Holland and central Germany, E. Prussia ; N.W. Africa 

 (Algeria) and probably Egypt, eastwards at least as far as Persia, 

 also W. Africa and Madagascar. Passes Mediterranean countries 

 on migration, and winters north and south of Sahara. Represented 

 by allied forms in eastern and southern Africa, E. Siberia, N. India, 

 and Japan, Australia and New Zealand. 



[Note. — Examples of the Pueple Gallixuee, Porphyrio cceruleus 

 (Vandelli), the Green-backed Gallesttjee, Porphyrio madagascariensis (Lath.), 

 the Indian Gallinuee, Porphyrio poliocephalus (Lath.), and the Australian 

 GaeTjINeee, Porphyrio melanotics Temm., have been captured from time to 

 time, but these had probably escaped from captivity or semi-captivity (Yarrell, 

 in, p. 170 ; Saunders, p. 518).] 



[Note. — An example of Allen's Gallinule. Porphyrio alleni Thompson, 

 Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., x, £>. 201, 1842, a resident in tropical Africa and 

 Madagascar which has occurred a- cidentally in N. Africa, Canary Islands, 

 Azores, and south Europe, was captured alive on a fishing-boat off Hopton, 

 near Yarmouth (Norfolk), Jan. 1st, 1902 (J. H. Gurney, Zool, 1902, p. 98) ; 

 it may have escaped from captivity, but the species occurred in the same year 

 in Tunisia and Marocco, and has occurred in Sicily, Italy and Spain.] 



Genus RALLUS L. 



Ralltjs Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 153 (1758 — Type by subsequent 

 designation, of Fleming, 1821, and Gray, 1840, E, aquaiicus). 



Differs from other European Rails in its almost straight, 

 laterally compressed, long bill, which is as long as or a little longer 

 than middle toe with claw. Tarsus shorter than middle toe with 

 elaw. Frontal feathers slightly stiffened. Wings moderately long, 

 1st primary between 6th and 8th, 2nd as a rule longest. Tail 

 shorter than half length of wing. 12 species in Europe, Asia, 

 America, Africa with Madagascar and Aldabra, not counting the 

 closely allied Hypotcenidia. Only 1 species, in several subspecies, is 

 Palmare tic. 



