. A history of British birds . ns ; primaries dusky; tail-feathers alsodusky, with olive-brown margins ; cheeks, chin, sides andfront of the neck, and the breast, lead-grey; the sides and WATER RAIL. 163 flanks very dark slate, barred with white; vent buff colour;under tail-coverts dull white ; legs and toes brownish fleshcolour. The whole length is eleven inches and a the carpal joint to the end of the wing four inchesand three-quarters. The sexes do not differ much in plumage, but the femalegenerally exhibits some white bars on the wing-coverts, thetail-feathers are somewhat browne
. A history of British birds . ns ; primaries dusky; tail-feathers alsodusky, with olive-brown margins ; cheeks, chin, sides andfront of the neck, and the breast, lead-grey; the sides and WATER RAIL. 163 flanks very dark slate, barred with white; vent buff colour;under tail-coverts dull white ; legs and toes brownish fleshcolour. The whole length is eleven inches and a the carpal joint to the end of the wing four inchesand three-quarters. The sexes do not differ much in plumage, but the femalegenerally exhibits some white bars on the wing-coverts, thetail-feathers are somewhat browner, the bill is often a trifleshorter, and the colour less bright. Young birds have the under parts of a dull buff-white,with brownish-grey bars, narrow above, and broader on theflanks, forming transverse bars ; the flanks and thighs notso dark in colour, and without the white bands. The nest-lings are covered with black down. Isabelline varieties of the Water Rail are occasionallytaken, and pure white examples are not 164 FULICARIJE. RALLIDJl. RALLIDJi.
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Keywords: ., bookauthorsaun, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectbirds
