THE WATERHEN 



259 



hawks or harriers, rise up into the air and flight, Hke rails, 

 to some more propitious feeding-ground. But always, when 

 the weather is hard, they wander far afield in search of food 

 and water, even going up to the marshmen's doors. In 

 snowy weather they are often found dead or star\nng — a 

 mere mass of bones and feathers, without sufficient strength 

 to run or fly. But such weaklings generally fall an easy 

 prey to vermin, who often track them in the snow. In snow, 

 1 have traced a stoat's trail across the marshes following 

 the trail of a waterhen, and presently the trails ended, and a 

 bunch of feathers and picked bones were the silent witnesses 

 of the tragedy. The active stoat knows well in such weather 

 they often have not strength to fly, nor indeed do they ever 

 fly much at any time — a mode of motion oftenest practised 

 when they are disturbed feeding outside the stuff, when 

 they fly up, with drooping legs rippling the water as the}^ 

 flee into cover. 



Beautiful as the waterhen is on the lilied lagoons, 'he is 

 equally attractive in a dumpling. In a good curry, too, with 

 nice dry rice, he is sabroso. Roast, also, he is capital ; and 

 though I have known sportsmen ask, " What shall we do 

 with him now we have shot him ? " I prefer him as a table- 

 bird to most other birds, rating him a good dish. 



waterhen's nest and eggs. [In situ.) 



