GALLINULA.
Frontal plate well developed; flares in a groove; toes lung, middle toe longer than tarsus ; less shy than true Rails, swim easily, often perch ; nest bulky, of flags and leaves on or near bank, often among reeds; eggs clay yellow, marked and blotched with violet grey and reddish brown.
Gallinula chloropus chloropus (L.). WATERHEN. Fr. Pottle d'eau ; Ger. Rohrhuhn ; //a/. Gallinella d'acqua ; Swed. Rdrhona.
? Above dark olive brown ; head, neck, and underparts dark slaty grey with white streaks on flanks ; under tail coverts white, black in centre. Iris brownish red. Bill red, tip yellow.
Frontal shield red. Legs and feet dull green, at heel-joint a yellow and red band. Wing j 173-179, ? 161-167. Tarsus 6' 43-50. Bill from feathers at side of plate 25-28.
Breeds.—Europe, including British Isles, from C. Norway, 6o° in Finland, and Petrograd in Russia south to Mediterranean and its Islands ; N. Africa (Morocco to Egypt) ; also W. Asia. Migratory in extreme north, but resident in Britain and Central Europe. Has occurred Iceland, Faroes, Azores, Madeira, and possibly Canaries.