Part 12

Upper dark-brown, spotted white; abdomen, flanks blackish barred white; breast gray; swims; f., sim. Insects.

=21= Pectoral Rail =22= Australian Spotted Crake =26= Black Moor-Hen =27= Bald Coot =30= Hoary-headed Grebe =67= Crested Tern =71= White-faced Ternlet =72= Silver Gull =73= Pacific Gull

=23 Australian Little Crake=, P. palustris, A. =vt. Eur. Little Crake.

Stat. r. river, reed-beds 6

Upper rusty-brown; throat, breast gray; crown blackish; flanks, lower-abdomen barred black, white; swims, dives; f., sim. Water-animals.

=24 Spotless Crake= (Leaden, Tabuan), Swamp-Rail, Little Swamp-Hen, Putoto, P. plumbea, Philippines to A., N. Heb., N. Cal., Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, N.Z., Chatham Is.

Stat. c. reed-beds 6.3

Upper reddish-brown; under dark slate-gray; throat whitish; eyes pink; f., young sim. Water-animals.

2 2

=25 Black-tailed Native-Hen=, Gallinule (e), Tribonyx ventralis, A.

Mig. flocks, occ. r. lagoons, rivers 15

Upper brown; under bluish-gray; white marks conspicuous on flanks; upper-bill light-green; lower red at base; legs brick-red; runs, seldom flies; f., sim. Water-animals, seeds.

1 8

=26* Black Moor-Hen= (-Gallinule), Gallinula tenebrosa, N.G., A. =vt. cos. Gallinule.

Stat. c. lagoons, rivers 15

Grayish-black; back deep-brown; under tail white at sides; scarlet garter above knee; base bill, plate on forehead blood-red; no white on flanks; jerks tail; f., smaller. Water-animals, plants.

2 16

=27* Bald-Coot=, Purple Gallinule, Black-backed Water (Swamp, Macquarie) Hen, Pukeko, Redbill (e), Porphyrio melanonotus, N.G., A., T., Norfolk Is., Lord Howe Is., N.Z. =vt. cos. bird.

Stat. c. lagoons, rivers 17.5

Hind-neck, breast, flanks indigo-blue; back, wings, tail black; under tail white; eyes orange-red; bill, legs red; jerks tail; f., smaller. Insects, vegetable food.

1 13

=28 Australian Coot=, Dabchick (e), Fulica australis, A., T., =vt. cos. bird.

Stat. c. lakes, bays 14

Sooty-black; bill bluish-gray; eyes red; lobed feet; f., sim. Water-insects, snails.

F. 23. Heliornithidae. Finfoot, 5 sp.--1(1)O., 3(3)E., 1(1)Nl.

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In the next Order, the Sixth, there are three Australian birds. They are called Grebes. Bird names often reflect some habit, e.g., Scratchers, Cooers. So Grebes are often called Divers. But the Divers of the ornithologist are Northern Hemisphere birds, placed in the next family (25).

There is a widespread tradition to the effect that Grebes wait for the flash of the cap, and then dive before the bullet can reach them. They are, indeed, remarkably active in the water, but are absurd on land. Their legs are set so far back that it is almost impossible for them to walk. Their toes are not webbed, but are broadly lobed.