98 BRITAIN'S BIRDS AND THEIR NESTS. 



can fly, as ordinary tree-nesting species do. It is mani- 

 festly impossible for the chicks to climb down. Do their 

 parents carry them down, and if so — how .? The ques- 

 tion has been much discussed in connection with certain 

 Ducks whose habits present a similar problem. Actually 

 to observe the deed is the obvious method of solution ; 

 but it may be difficult to come upon the birds at the 

 critical moment. We have heard a description from one 

 who had the good fortune to discover a young Moorhen 

 in the very act of quitting a nest at a considerable 

 height above the ground. This chick simply zvalked 

 off the nest. Its last stride was a sheer drop, but on 

 reaching the ground it picked itself up and continued 

 its way apparently none the worse of what our friend 

 called ' its first great step in life.' A newly hatched 

 Moorhen's wings are of no service, even to check the rate 

 of fall, and there is indeed nothing to keep the bird 

 from falling like a stone and reaching the ground with 

 very considerable velocity. The momentum of such a 

 light body, however, will be small, and the impact 

 slight. Given soft herbage or perhaps water to fall 

 on, we can therefore quite understand that the chicks 

 may always be as successful as in the case observed, and 

 it may well be that what was seen is the ordinary mode 

 of descent. 



The same pair of Moorhens will rear two and fre- 

 quently three broods in the year, and it is a curious 

 point that the young of the earlier broods are not 

 driven away, as is the case with most double and treble 

 brooded species. These earlier young birds are even said 

 to assist in the nesting duties for the later broods. 

 However this may be, the old Moorhens may certainly 

 be seen late in the season attended by young birds of 

 three distinct ages. 



