Ciafs II.] BIRDS. 131 
SPECIES II. The Land Rail. 
Rail, or Daker hen. JVil. orn. 170. 
Raii fyn. av. 58. 
Rallus geniftarum. Brijfon av. V. 
159. fab. 13. Fig. 2. 
T HIS fpecies has been fuppofed by fome 
to be the fame with the water rail, and 
that it differs only by a change of color 
* ► * • . ••• 
at a certain feafon of the year : this error is ow¬ 
ing to inattention to their characters and nature, 
both which differ entirely. The bill of this fpe¬ 
cies is fhort, ftrong, and thick \ formed exaCtly 
like that of the water hen, and makes a generi- 
cal diftinCtion. It never frequents watery places, 
but is always found among corn, grafs, broom, or 
furze. It quits this kingdom before winter ; but 
the water rail endures our fharpeft feafons. They 
agree in their averfion to flight} but truft their 
fafety to their fwiftnefs of foot, and feldom are 
Iprung but with great difficulty. The land rail 
Rallus crex. Lin. fyft. 153. 
Ortygometra. Crex. Gejher av. 
361, 362. 
lays from twelve to twenty eggs, of a dull white 
color, marked with a few yellow fpots ; notwith- 
ftanding this, they are not very numerous in this 
kingdom. Their note is fingular, refembling the 
word Crex often repeated. They are in greateft 
plenty in Anglefea , where they appear about the 
20th of May, fuppofed to pafs over from Ire¬ 
land, where they abound. On their arrival they 
are thin, weighing only fix ounces but before 
they leave the ifland weigh above eight. The 
feathers on the crown of the head, hind part or 
the neck, and the back, are black, edged with bay 
color : the coverts of the wings the fame color ; 
but not fpotted : the tail is fhort, and of a deep 
bay: the belly white: the legs afh-colored. 
SPECIES III. The Common Water Hen. Plate % 1. 
Common water-hen, or moor-hen. 
JVil. orn . 312. 
Rail fyn . av. 112. 
T H E male of this fpecies weighs about 
fifteen ounces. Its length to the end 
of the tail fourteen inches : the breadth 
twenty-two. The colors of the plumage in the 
female, are much lefs brilliant than that of the 
male : in fize it is alfo inferior. Mr. Willoughby 
in his defeription takes no notice of the beautiful 
olive glofs of the plumage of thefe birds j nor 
that the bill affumes a fuller and brighter red in 
the courting feafon : his natural hiftory of it in 
other refpe£ts is fo very ample, that we fhall pre- 
fent it to the reader, almoft in his own words. 
Gallinula. Brijfon av. VI. 3. Tab. 1. 
Fulica chloropus. Lin. fyft. 152. 
Ein waflerhen. Gefner av. 501. 
It gets its food on graffy banks, and borders near 
frefh waters, and in the very waters, if they be 
weedy. It builds upon low trees, and fhrubs by 
the water-fide \ breeding twice or thrice in the 
fummer \ and when the young are grown up, 
drives them away, to fhift for themfelves. They 
lay feven eggs of a dirty white color, thinly fpot¬ 
ted with ruft color. It ftrikes with its bill like a 
hen and in the fpnng has a fhnll call. We may 
obferve, that the bottoms f of its toes are fo very 
flat and broad (to enable it to fwim) that it feems 
the bird that conne&s the cloven-footed aquatics 
with the next tribe ; the fin toed. 
SECTION 
