587 
In almost, if not quite every species of British bird, white or 
pied mdivKluals are recorded to liave been found; but the Moorhen 
a one seems to bo subject to this hairlike variation of pluma"e It 
w, hoover, not free from partial albinism ; ami a fen- such instances 
have come under my notice; but the feathers have been of tlm 
uomal texture, or very nearly so. I have a pied Moorhen, killed 
e t Peterborough; two have been obtained in Norfolk ; and Mr. John 
Mar.sha 1 has t^vo, of which he lias been good enough to send me 
mZn of this 
paper there is no connection. 
'Ihrough the kiiMnoss of Professor Newton, I am able to illustrate 
these few notes with a plate by Mr. Keulemans of the bird in the 
Cambridge Museum (No. 3). The frontal shield has apparently 
^hiunk away; but, as I, suppose it must have been there when 
.0 bud was alive twenty-seven years ago, I have had it copied 
ogether with tlie colour of the legs and beak, from some of the 
umre recent specimens.* The woodcuts at page 583 represent a 
flank f ather and a middle tail-feather (Figs. 4 and 5), with cor- 
lesponding feathers from an ordinary adult Moorhen (Figs. G and 7) 
for comparison, t '' ^ vaim/; 
partially diagraniatic drawing from which Figs. 1 2 and 1 
the appearance of wliite horsehair. It is barbed nearlv to the Hn T 
sometimes branched (bifid and trifid' and traces of barhnl!? ^ 
n R 2 
