THE MOOR-HEN 843 



Genus GALLINULA Briss. 



Gallinula Brisson, Orn., I, p. 50 (1760 — Type, according to vi, p. 2, by 

 tautonymy " gallinula," i.e. Gallinula chloropus). 



Toes extraordinarily long, middle toe with claw much longer 

 than tarsus, not with lobes, but with a narrow strip of extended 

 skin laterally. Adult with a red frontal shield. Only one Pala?- 

 arctic species with a number of subspecies over greater part of 

 world, and a few more particularized forms generally looked upon 

 as species. 



GALLINULA CHLOROPUS 



483. Gallinula chloropus chloropus (L.)— THE MOOR-HEN. 



Ftjlica Chloropus Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 152 (1758 — Europe. 



Restricted typical locality : England). 



Gallinula chloropus (Linnaeus), Yarrell, in, p. 164 ; Saunders, p. 517. 



Description. — Adult male and female. Winter. — Crown and nape 

 blackish -slate slightly tinged brown ; neck encroaching on to upper- 

 mantle bluer slate more or less washed brown ; rest of upper -parts 

 dark glossy olive-brown ; sides of head, chin and throat blackish- 

 slate (sometimes a few whitish spots on chin and throat) ; rest of 

 under -parts dark slate, feathers of centre of breast lightly tipped 

 white and those of 

 centre of belly with 

 longer white tips some- 

 times concealing basal 

 part of feathers and 

 making a white patch 

 on belly but varying, 

 flanks browner and 

 with conspicuous long 

 white stripes ; under 



tail-COVertS White more The Moor-Hen {Gallinula ch. cMoropu*). 



_ 1 ,• i -i rt- j_ Adult male, summer. 



or less tinged buff at 



base, central feathers black ; under wing-coverts and axillaries brown 

 tinged slate, narrowly tipped white (axillaries sometimes uniform) 

 and round edge of wing a narrow white or creamy-white line ; tail- 

 feathers as upper -parts but tips blackish ; primaries and secondaries 

 black-brown, inner part of inner webs rather paler, outer edge 

 (varying in width) of outer web of 1st primary white or brownish- 

 white, innermost secondaries dark red-brown ; primary-coverts 

 black-brown ; rest of wing-coverts as upper -parts but outer ones 

 blacker and less olive -brown. This plumage is acquired by complete 

 moult July to Oct. (occasionally not quite complete Nov.). All wing- 

 feathers, wing-coverts and tail-feathers are moulted simultaneously 

 though occasionally a feather here and there is retained until the 



