THE RAIL FAMILY 151 



known about them. As previously stated, I once 

 saw a flight at daybreak that very much astonished 

 me. The bird shifts considerably about at night 

 at times. When alarmed, it is occasionally very 

 clever in concealing itself, and it will sham death to 

 perfection, even when caught alive by a good dog, 

 without a feather being injured. If you did not 

 know the bird's little tricks, you would fancy it was 

 a dead Moorhen your water-spaniel places so proudly 

 in your hands, his eyes glistening and his tail wag- 

 ging, because he knows he has made a clever capture 

 of a wary, hideling bird that is not easily circum- 

 vented. There it is in your hand, with legs dangling 

 and neck as limp as a wet rag. All very well so 

 far, but after being stowed away in your pocket, that 

 Moorhen will be out of it like any eel, unless it has 

 been properly secured. 



Just a word of warning, before I go on, to those 

 who may shoot a Bittern or a Heron. Nothing takes 

 place, it is said, but the unexpected, and it is true as 

 regards these two birds, for sometimes they are put 

 up where no one would dream of looking for them. 

 But never put one in your shooting-pocket, even if 

 it looks dead, for they are terrible shammers, stealthy 

 in their movements, and if it suits their purpose 

 they can hold on and climb like cats. A man I 

 knew very well had a narrow escape from losing 

 one of his eyes over a supposed dead Bittern. 



When the sooty chicks are out, the Moorhen 

 parents have a very anxious time of it, for the Heron 

 is on the look-out for them, antl he does a lot of 



