98 
BIRDS. PRESSIROSTRES. 
Rallus. 
Orn. Diet., Article Grosbeak), it was “ in the habit of attending a farmer’s 
yard, whither it had come of itself, and associated with his poultry.” 
PRESSIROSTRES. 
Gen. LIX. RALLUS. Rail. — Bill produced^ longer than 
the head, with the under mandible even at the symphysis. 
128. R. aquaticus. Water-Rail. — Breast ash-coloured; 
wings dusky, with the base white. 
Will. Orn. 234. Linn. Syst. i. 162. Penn. Brit. Zool. ii. 284. Temm. 
Orn. ii. 683 — E, King of the Quails, llunner. Velvet-runner, Oar- 
cock. Bill-cock, Skiddy-cock, and Brook-owzel; IF, Cwtiar — Station- 
ary. 
Length 10, breadth 16 inches ; weight 4 ounces. The bill is an inch and 
three quarters long at the gape, above and tip of the lower mandible black, 
the remainder of the latter and edges of the former, together with the inside 
of the mouth and irides, reddish-orange. Margin of the eye-lids narrow and 
greenish-black. The upper mandible is the longest, depressed at the base, 
slightly wrinkled across, with the feathers forming a projecting angle on each 
side. Legs dusky, bare three quarters of an inch above the knee, regularly 
plated in front and reticulated behind. The toes are slightly webbed at the 
base of the two external ones, and plated above. Plumage, above, black, each 
feather broadly bordered with olive-brown. The tips of the shafts of the 
front feathers are destitute of webs and are even a little swollen and spinous, 
as in the Corncrake. The chin, a spot under each eye, and the lores grey- 
ish-white. The throat, neck, and breast bluish-grey, belly orange-white; 
the sides black, barred with white, the tips orange. Wings dusky, the mar- 
gin white, the outer webs of the quills narrow, the inner broad ; the first 
short, the second and third longest. Tail of 12 feathers, dusky, with olive 
margins. The female has a shorter bill, and is paler in the colour. — Nest of 
grass, among aquatic plants. Eggs 6, white. Ymmg like the female — Food 
worms, slugs, insects, and snails. Runs nimbly, flirts up its tail, exhibiting 
the white under-covers — Does not migrate. 
Gen. lx. ORTYGOMETRA. Crake.— Bill conical, 
shorter than the head, with the under mandible forming 
an angle at the symphysis. 
129- O. crex. Corncrake. — Cheeks cinereous, wing-covers 
reddish-chesnut. 
Will. Orn. 122. Sibb. Scot. 16 — Rallus crex, Lirm. Syst. 261 — Crake 
Gallinule, Penn. Brit. Zool. ii. 487 — GaUinula crex, Temm. Orn. ii- 
686. — E, Daker-hen, Bean-Crake ; S, Corn-crake ; W, Rhegen yr yd; 
G, Gearradh.gort, Treun re treun.— -A common summer visitant. 
Length 11, breadth 19 inches; weight 7 ounces. Bill one inch in the gape. 
Upper mandible rounded above, compressed at the sides towards the base. 
Irides brown ; the margin of the eyelids greenish-black. Legs brownish, 
plated before and behind, reticulated on the sides. Plumage, above, blackish- 
brown, each feather with a broad yellowish-brown maigin. The first quill 
short, the second and third nearly of equal length. Tail of 12 feathers. The 
