Birds of Britain 



loud and peculiar noise, known in some localities as 

 " sharming." Extremely loth to take wing, but swimming, 

 and diving with great facility, it is very difficult to get a 

 sight of this bird, except during severe weather, when the 

 cover is more scanty, and lack of food compels it to leave 

 its usual haunts. The nest is placed in a thick tuft of 

 sedge or reeds and is a deep cup-shaped structure of flags ; 

 the eggs are pale creamy white, flecked with a few reddish 

 spots, and are seven to nine in number. The food consists 

 of worms, snails, and other aquatic insects and plants. 



The adult has the back dark brown, with broad olive 

 brown margins to the feathers ; cheeks, neck, and breast 

 lead grey ; vent buff ; flanks black, barred with white. Bill 

 red. Length 11"5 in.; wing 4*75 in. 



The young have the under parts dull brownish, barred 

 on the flanks with dark brown. The female has occasionally 

 some of the wing coverts black, barred with white, but this 

 is a very variable feature. This species is subject to 

 considerable differences in size and also in the intensity of 

 colouring on the beak, breast, and under parts. 



THE MOOR-HEN 



Gallinula chloropus (Linnseus) 



This is the commonest, tamest, and best known of the 

 Eails, and occurs abundantly throughout the British Isles 

 wherever some water surrounded by cover is found, even 

 though it be a small ditch or pond. It has even penetrated 



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