192 
WATER RAIL. 
to the vicinity of large ponds or lakes, the borders of 
which are well clothed with plants. They feed on 
insects, snails, and worms, and also upon vegetables 
and seeds. 
WATER RAIL. 
(Rallus aquaticus.) 
Ra, alts griseis fusco maculatis, hypocJiondriis albo maculatis, 
rostro subtus Julvo, pedibus virescentibus. 
Rail with grey wings spotted with brown, the flanks spotted with 
white, the beak beneath fulvous, the legs greenish. 
Rallus aquaticus. Lin7i. Syst. Nat. 1. 262. Gjjrel, Syst. Nat. 1. 
712. Briss. Orn. 5. 151. pL 12./ 2. Raii, Syn. 113. A. 
Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 754. 
Rallus sericeus. Leach^ Cat. Brit. Mus. p. 33. 
Scolopax obscura. Gmel. Syst. Nat. 1. 663. 
Le Rale d'eau. Biif. Ois. 8. 154. pl.\3. Buff. PI. Enl. 749. 
Temm. man. d'Orn. 442. Id. 2 Edit. ii. 683. 
Le Rale d'eau d'Europe. Cicv. Reg. Anim. 1. 500. 
Water Rail, Bilcock, Brook-ouzel. Penn. Brit. Zool. 2. 214. 
Alb. Birds, I. pi. 77. Lath. Gen. Syn. 5. 227. Leiv. Brit. 
Birds, 5, pi. 189. JValc. Syn. 2. pi. 171. Don. Brit. Birds, 
5. pi. 104. Mont. Orn. Diet. 2. and Supp. Betv. Brit. Birds, 
2. pi. Hp. 13. 
The Common Rail measures scarcely twelve inches 
in length : its beak is red shaded with brown at its 
tip : its irides are orange : the throat is whitish : the 
sides of the head, its neck, breast, and belly, are of 
an ashy-lead colour : all the feathers on the upper 
parts of the body are reddish-brown, with a deep 
