THE WATER-RAIL. 841 



buff and dark brown ; under tail-coverts, tail, wings and wing-coverts 

 like adult . 



First winter. Male and female. — Like adult but chin whitish, 

 ear-coverts tipped brown, feathers of breast and throat narrowly 

 tipped huffish-white to white with a narrow brown subterminal bar 

 and sometimes a considerable amount of brown wash on throat 

 and breast, feathers of centre of breast usually fringed whitish, 

 making a small narrow whitish patch. The juvenile body -plumage 

 is moulted July to Nov. (sometimes not finished Dec.) but not tail- 

 or wing-feathers nor wing-coverts and sometimes a certain number 

 of juvenile body -feathers are retained. Summer. — Owing to abrasion 

 of tips of feathers and probably a partial moult becomes more like 

 adult. 



Measurements and structure.— q wing 115-126 mm., tail 50-60, 

 tarsus 39-45, bill from feathers 37-44 (12 measured). 2 wing 109- 

 116, bill 33-39. Primaries : 2nd and 3rd longest, 1st 15-20 mm. 

 shorter, 4th 1-4 shorter, 5th 3-6 shorter, 6th 6-10 shorter ; feathers 

 broad and tips rounded but that of outer more pointed. Outer 

 secondaries about equal to inner primary, tips obtusely pointed, 

 innermost as long as 5th to 7th primaries. Tail much rounded, 

 narrow and arched, 12 rather soft and narrow feathers, tips sharply 

 rounded. Tarsus compressed and strong ; toes long and slender, 

 claws rather small and slightly arched. Tibia bare for about 10 

 mm. Bill rather slender and compressed from base to tip, almost 

 straight, both mandibles tapering gradually to point, no angle 

 noticeable. Nostrils slit-like about middle of long, narrow and rather 

 deep groove. Feathers on fore -head with shafts somewhat thickened, 

 stiff and bristle-like. 



Soft parts. — Bill : culmen and distal half of lower mandible 

 brown, basal half of lower and cutting edge at base of upper red ; 

 legs and feet flesh-brown, sometimes washed greenish : iris dull 

 blood-red to bright red-brown. 



Characters axd allied forms. — R. a. indicus (E. Siberia, N. 

 China, Japan) has paler brown edges to feathers of upper -parts, 

 paler and more brownish under-parts and a brown stripe through 

 ear-coverts ; JR. a. korejewi (Turkestan, E. Persia) has upper -parts 

 still paler than last but under-parts not so brown -tinged. Long 

 slender bill distinguishes Water-Rail from Crakes. 



Field -characters. — Shy and secretive, a dweller hi reed-beds and 

 the coarse herbage of bogs and fens. If seen, walking with deliber- 

 ate gait, in a ditch or water-cress bed or on margin of a pool, 

 upright carriage, and flirted white tail-coverts, olive-brown back, 

 dull slate neck and breast, black and white barred flanks, and long 

 dull red and slightly decurved bill are evident enough, but usually 

 one only has a momentary glimpse of bird as it bolts for cover on 

 first alarm, running quickly with lowered head. Swims well, 

 looking at a distance like a miniature Moorhen. Call, a sharp 



