178 



ON THE WATER-RAIL. 



former, orange-red ; the upper mandible is the long- 

 est f and, at the base, it is depressed, slightly wrinkled 

 across, with the feathers forming a projecting angle 

 oil each side ; the irides are reddish-orange, and 

 the tarsi are narrow, and greenish black ; the legs 

 are pale-dusky, and bare for about three quarters 

 of an inch above the knee ; the toes are long, slight- 

 ly webbed at the base of the two external ones ; the 

 skin on the soles is loose, and slightly carinated, 

 and they are furnished with two, three* four, and 

 five joints. 



The plumage above, is black ; but as each feather 

 is bordered with olive-brown, the dark colour ap- 

 pears in irregular stripes ; the tips of the shafts of 

 the feathers on the front, are destitute of webs, 

 and are even a little swollen and spinous, — a cir- 

 cumstance in which this species resembles the Corn- 

 crake ; the chin, a spot under each eye, and a 

 stripe from the base of the bill, towards the eyes, 

 are greyish- white ; the breast, throat, cheeks, sides 

 of the neck, and breast, are of a deep bluish-grey ; 

 —the feathers on the throat, with pale edges, and 

 the ear-coverts slightly tinged with olive-brown ; 

 on the fore part of the neck, there are several 

 white hairs mixed with the feathers ; belly, deep 

 orange- white ; the sides black, barred with white, 

 and tipped with orange-white ; the wings are 

 dusky, with the outer webs broad; the margin 

 of the wing is white, and the under coverts pale 

 dusky, barred with white ; the bastard wing con- 



