in captivity in lower bengal. 319 



Length of life in captivity. 



No record of individual specimens has been kept, but the species 

 bears captivity well. 



Teeatment in health. 



Housing and feeding. — The coots and water hens may be treated 

 like the purple coot. With the exception of the water cock, they are all 

 good tempered and sociable and do well with the ducks ; the water hens 

 live happily in a large aviary. They mostly feed on vegetables; but 

 almost everything supplied to other birds is welcome to them, minced 

 meat and maggots not excepted. 



Breeding. — The white-breasted water hens breed regularly within 

 the garden, building their nests of weeds in the midst of shrubberies 

 near the edge of the tank ; in tanks full of weeds they have often been 

 found to build right in the middle. 



Observations on the habits of Coots and "Water Hens. 



The coot is most aquatic in habits, swimming and diving like a 

 duck ; the water cock has similar habits to that of the purple coot, but 

 it is shy and retiring in disposition ; though not generally aggressive, 

 when provoked it rights savagely ; it has a peculiar deep trumpet-like 

 voice ; the water hen is very tame and sociable ; the jerky movement of 

 its tail is very noticeable, especially when it is excited. They are 

 rather noisy birds, particularly during the breeding season ; those living 

 in the aviary always roost on the topmost perches. 



(335) HARDWICKE'S SPUR FOWL. 



(GALLOPEEDIX LUNULATA— (Valenc.) ) 



The spur of the hen bird is small, and there is generally only one 

 in each leg. 



Rah. — Several parts of Southern India, including the Eastern 

 Ghats, Hyderabad in the Deccan, and extending through Central 

 Provinces to Mirzapore and Monghyr. 



There is no record of the period during which any of them lived 

 in this garden. 



(336) THE BLACK FRANCOLIN. 



(FEANCOLINUS VULGABIS— Steph.) 

 Hindi — Kala titur. Ghaghar. 

 Sab. — Throughout the whole of Northern India, from the Hima- 

 layas to the valley of the Granges ; Cuttack, Midnapore, Maldah, 

 Dinajpore, Rungpore, Dacca, Tipperah, Sylhet, Cachar, Manipur, the 

 Graro and Khasia Hills, Bhutan Duars. Outside India it is found in 

 Southern Beluchistan, Afghanistan, Southern Persia, and the forest 

 regions of the Caspian. 



