14 
BRITISH BIRDS. 
reddifli orange ; the irides red. The top of the 
head, hinder part of the neck, back, fcapulars, co» 
verts of the wings, and/ tail, are black, edged with 
dingy brown. The ridge of the wings is white, the 
baftard wing barred with white, the infide barred 
with brown and white, and the quills and fecbnda- 
ries dufky. The fide feathers are beautifully crolfed 
with black and white, and flightly tipped with pale 
reddifli brown. The inner fide of the thighs, the 
belly, and the vent are pale brown, and in fome 
fpecimens, fpecked with blueifh afh. The fides of 
the head, chin, fore part of the neck, and breaft, 
are of a dark hoary lead colour, flightly tinged with 
pale rufous. The tail confifls of twelve fhort black 
feathers, edged and tipped with dirty red ; fome 
of thofe on the underfide barred with black and 
white. The legs which are placed far behind, are 
a dull dirty red ; the toes long and without any 
connedling membrane. Latham fays “ the eggs 
are more than an inch and a half long, of a pale 
yellowifh colour, marked all over with dufky brown 
fpots, nearly equal in fize, but irregular.” 
The Water Rail is a fliy and folitary bird. Its 
conftant abode is in low wet places, much overgrown 
with fedges, reeds, and other coarfe herbage, among 
which it finds fhelter, and feeds in hidden fecurity. 
It runs, occafionally flirting up its tail, through its 
trads with the fame fwiftnefs as the Corn Crake 
runs through the meadows and corn-fields, ftiews 
