GALLINULINJE. RALLUS. CREX. Ill 
tion to the Snipes, from which they scarcely differ in their 
digestive organs. 
209. Rallus aquaticus. Water Rail. 
Plumage above olivaceous, streaked with brownish-black; 
fore-neck and breast dull greyish-blue ; sides and haunches 
barred with brownish-black and white ; abdomen pale red- 
dish-yellow, proximal lower tail-coverts white, the rest 
banded with black; bill dark brown, with the edges of the 
upper and two-thirds of the lower mandible bright red; feet 
I light reddish-brown, approaching to flesh-colour. Female 
similar, but with the tints paler, the red of the bill less bright, 
and the legs tinged with green. 
Male, Ilf, 16, 5, 1*, if, Iff, Female, 10J, 1 5-J. 
Although generally distributed in Britain, and permanently 
resident, the Water Rail is nowhere common. It frequents 
moist meadows, the sides of ditches, brooks, or streams over- 
grown with sedges, seeds, and other rank plants, as well as 
marshes, especially those abounding with the yellow iris. 
When forced to take wing, it flies slowly, and seldom proceeds 
far ; but it runs with great celerity. Its food consists of 
worms, slugs, helices, lymneee, insects, and seeds of grami- 
nese. The nest is bulky, and contains from six to twelve eggs, 
which are oval, cream-coloured, spotted with red and pale 
grey. 
Bilcock. Runner. Skit. Skiddy Cock. 
Rallus aquaticus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 262.-— Rallus aquati- 
cus, Lath. Ind. Ornith. ii. 765. — Rallus aquaticus, Temm, 
Man. d’ Ornith. ii. 683. — Rallus aquaticus, Water Rail, Mac- 
Giilivray, Brit. Birds, iv. 
GENUS CX. CREX. CRAKE. 
Birds of small size, having the body much compressed, 
the neck of moderate length ; the head rather small, oblong, 
| compressed. Bill shorter than the head, rather stout, com- 
pressed, tapering ; upper mandible with the dorsal line 
sloping and nearly straight, declinate, and a little convex 
toward the end, the ridge convex, having a slightly enlarged 
angular commencement, the sides nearly erect, toward the 
end a little convex, the edges sharp, hard, and slightly in- 
flected, with a very slight notch or sinus close to the tip, 
which is rather obtuse ; the nasal sinus broad, and extend- 
