File:Birds of Britain (1907) (14568750130).jpg

Identifier: birdsofbritain00bonh (find matches)
Title: Birds of Britain
Year: 1907 (1900s)
Authors: Bonhote, J. Lewis (John Lewis), 1875-1922 Dresser, Henry Eeles, 1838-1915
Subjects: Birds -- Great Britain
Publisher: London, A. and C. Black
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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eggs are pale creamy white, flecked with a few reddishspots, and are seven to nine in number. The food consistsof worms, snails, and other aquatic insects and plants. The adult has the back dark brown, with broad olivebrown margins to the feathers ; cheeks, neck, and breastlead grey ; vent buff; flanks black, barred with white. Billred. Length 115 in.; wing 4*75 in. The young have the under parts dull brownish, barredon the flanks with dark brown. The female has occasionallysome of the wing coverts black, barred with white, but thisis a very variable feature. This species is subject toconsiderable differences in size and also in the intensity ofcolouring on the beak, breast, and under parts. THE MOOR-HEN Gallinula chloropus (Linnseus) This is the commonest, tamest, and best known of theEails, and occurs abundantly throughout the British Isleswherever some water surrounded by cover is found, eventhough it be a small ditch or pond. It has even penetrated 288 MOOR-HEX Gallinula chlorapus
Text Appearing After Image:
The Moor-hen into the heart of London, and may be watched as it comesout to pick up the crumbs thrown by the passer-by, andtakes them back to her young concealed in the rushes.Their food consists of insects, worms, slugs, aquatic vegeta-tion, and a certain amount of grain. In some districtsconsiderable damage is done in early spring to the watercressbeds, the fresh tender shoots being nipped off as soon asthey start to grow. In April several nests are partially begun; these aregenerally situated in clumps of sedge or rushes, but aresometimes built under bushes, or even trees, at some heightabove the ground. In one of these partially-built structuresthe eggs will be laid, and as soon as the site has beendefinitely chosen a considerable amount of material is added,and the higher leaves of the sedge are often bent over so asto conceal it from above. The young when first hatched areblack, with the base of the beak bright red like that of theirparents, but after about a fortnight this colo

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