204 BIRDS OF LANCASHIRE. 



wide), and swam across with as much ease and 

 promptitude as if they were so many ducks." The 

 Corn-Crake lays nine or ten eggs in June. 



GENUS GALLINULA. 



MOOE-HEN. 



Gallinula chloropus (Linnaeus). 



Local Names — Water-hen, Coot. 



Eesident and common, found breeding everywhere in 

 weedy pits and ponds, and frequenting them throughout 

 the winter ; when these are frozen, it takes to the run- 

 ning streams. The eggs are six or eight in number, 

 and are laid the end of April or beginning of May ; 

 sometimes, when the nest is left for a while, they are 

 carefully covered up with reeds. The Moor-hen is very 

 pugnacious when it has young, and will drive away 

 every other bird or animal which may then approach 

 its vicinity. Mr. W. Fitzherbert Brockholes writes me 

 that in October 1884, he had brought to him, alive and 

 quite undamaged, a specimen of the " hairy " variety 

 of this bird (Cf. Trans. Norfolk and Norwich Nat. Soc, 

 vol. iii. pp. 581-587, J. H. Gurney, jun.). 



GENUS FULICA. 



COOT. 



FuLicA atra, Limifeus. 



The Coot is a resident species, but is very local, and 

 whilst breeding numerously in many localities, in others 



