450 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 
she was hovering the last one, which I suppose ulti- 
mately recovered also. 
The nest of the Moorhen is usually placed under 
cover by the side of the water, and occasionally 
floating upon it. I have also seen it built on a con- 
venient branch of a laurel overhanging and close to 
the water. It is generally made of dry grass, flags, 
rushes, laurel and other leaves. As they have three 
broods in the year the old nest is often repaired for 
the expected family, and by the time the third brood 
is hatched the nest has become rather a serious 
structure, consisting of several layers of materials. 
When there is another brood expected no time is 
lost in repairing the old nest, and I have seen the 
old birds busily engaged in feeding their young and 
repairing their nest at the same time; indeed some- 
times the broods follow each other so quickly that 
I have seen the elder family coming up to the old 
birds expecting to be provided for as well as the 
younger ones, and sometimes by dint of perse- 
verance they do manage to get a little. 
The food of the Moorhen consists mostly of 
worms, slugs, grasshoppers and other land insects, 
2s well as various kinds of aquatic insects which it 
picks up out of the weed floating on the surface, or 
which it obtains by diving, at which it is very expert. 
It has no objection to corn if it happens to be 
located in a place where it can get it. 
The Moorhen is a conspicuous, lively bird, and is 
