544 



MOORHEN. 

 Gallinula chloropus (Z.). 



Resident, generally distributed, common. 



The earliest note of the Waterhen as a Yorkshire bird, 

 so far as is ascertained, is in the Rev. J. Graves's " History 

 of Cleveland " (1808), where it is enumerated amongst the 

 resident birds. 



Thomas Allis, 1S44, wrote : — 



Gallinula chloropus. — The Moor Hen — Not uncommon about Halifax 

 and Hebden Bridge. Common in most other districts. 



As a common and generally distributed inhabitant of 

 marshy districts, reedy ponds, and banks of slow running 

 streams, the Moorhen, or Waterhen as it is indisciminately 

 termed, is well known in Yorkshire, and occurs in most parts 

 of the county, except in manufacturing districts and on the 

 highest fells. Where the conditions are suitable it appears 

 to be on the increase. 



In some localities, and especially in the Beverley district, 

 it is to a certain extent migratory, and leaves its nesting 

 quarters as winter approaches, returning again in spring. 

 There is in some seasons a decided increase in the numbers, 

 but whether this is to be attributed entirely to immigration, 

 or partly to merely local movements influenced by the state 

 of the weather, which in severe floods and frosts drives them 

 from their haunts, is not yet determined. I may, however, 

 state that I have seen a specimen that was killed by striking 

 against Flamborough Lighthouse, and occasionally examples 

 are picked up in the streets of sea-coast towns in the 

 autumn, which points to the probability of these being 

 oversea immigrants. 



Mr. F. Boyes {Zool. 1871, p. 2522), notes an instance of 

 a Moorhen submerging itself, and describes the operation, 

 of which he was an eye-witness. The species under notice 

 figures in the list of birds captured in the nets of Hornby 

 Castle Decoy. 



