One of several wading birds, having long, webless toes, and a frontal shield, belonging to the family
Rallidae. They are remarkable for running rapidly over marshes and on floating plants. The purple gallinule of America is
Ionornis Martinica, that of the Old World is
Porphyrio porphyrio. The common European gallinule (
Gallinula chloropus) is also called
moor hen,
water hen,
water rail,
moor coot,
night bird, and erroneously
dabchick. Closely related to it is the Florida gallinule (
Gallinula galeata). [
1913 Webster]
" The purple gallinule of Southern Europe and Asia was formerly believed to be able to detect and report adultery, and for that reason, chiefly, it was commonly domesticated by the ancients."
[1913 Webster]