166 RALLID^. 



fix its nest on the branch of a tree which rested upon the 

 surface of a deep still water. Another built her nest in the 

 branch of a fir-tree which overhung a river, a few feet 

 above the Avater, and was seen to fly down with two of 

 her young brood, one in each foot, from the nest. The 

 editor of the ' Naturalist ' mentions an instance where " the 

 nest of a Moor-hen floated on the water without having 

 any attachment whatever with the islet which it adjoined ; 

 but was enclosed on all sides by sticks, &c. Thus situated, 

 the careful parents hatched their eggs in perfect safety ; 

 though, had the water risen to an unusual height, the case 

 might have been otherwise." The nest has also been found in 

 trees at an elevation of twenty feet or more from the ground. 

 An interesting account of Moor-hens moving their eggs to 

 make an addition to their nest, is thus related by Selby 

 in the printed ' Proceedings of the Berwickshire Naturalists' 

 Club ' : — " During the early part of the summer of 1835, 

 a pair of Water-hens built their nest by the margin of the 

 ornamental pond at Bell's Hill, a piece of water of con- 

 siderable extent, and ordinarily fed by a spring from the 

 height above, but into which the contents of another large 

 pond can occasionally be admitted. This was done while 

 the female was sitting ; and as the nest has been built 

 when the water level stood low, the sudden influx of this 

 large body of water from the second pond caused a rise 

 of several inches, so as to threaten the speedy immersion 

 and consequent destruction of the eggs. This the birds 

 seem to have been aware of, and immediately took pre- 

 cautions against so imminent a danger ; for when the 

 gardener, upon whose veracity I can safely rely, seeing 

 the sudden rise of the water, went to look after the nest, 

 expecting to find it covered and the eggs destroyed, or at 

 least forsaken by the hen, he obserA^ed, while at a distance, 

 both birds busily engaged about the brink where the nest 

 was placed ; and, when near enough, he clearly perceived 

 that they were adding, with all possible dispatch, fresh 

 materials to raise the fabric beyond the level of the in- 

 creased contents of the pond, and that the eggs had, by 



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