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40 ‘THE NATURAL HISTORY 
toes are fingle, or without webs, though they arg : 
broad and flat; the legs are of a yelllowith green; 
the beak is yellow, at the bafe reddifh ; the body 
black; it has white feathers b-hind on each fide, 
which it often fhews when it is on the Water, | 
The forehead of the common Gallinule is bare - 
of feathers, and covered with a thick membrane: 
when it flies its legs hang down behind. It fre. 
quents the water, but does not {wim very much, 
unlefs it be to ‘go from one bank to another. The 
greateft part of the day it is hid under the roots 
of alders or willows; it is only in the evening 
that it is feen upon the water 3. it frequents 
marfhes lefs than running ftreams and pools ; it 
makes a large neft of reeds and rufhes interwoven, © 
The female bird leaves the neft every evening, . 
but firft covers the eggs with blades of reeds and 
plants. The moment the young are hatched they 
run and follow their mother to the water: the 
mother, for this reafon perhaps, always builds her 
neft near the water-edge. She takes very great 
care of her young the little time they have occa 
fion for her help; for they are foon capable of 
providing for themfelves. The parent then lays 
again, and fometimes hatches three times ina 
year. They feed on fmall fifh and water plants. 




















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