Pond Life 
to find what a long time a minute can 
be. To watch an old moorhen or a 
pair of them and their brood is a very 
pleasant sight, as good, in a different 
kind of way, as seeing a kingfisher ; and 
also a sight much easier to see, for 
moorhens are to be found in almost 
every pond. Evena roadside pond often 
has its pair of moorhens nesting there, 
and hardly a soul knows anything about 
them. They place their nest perhaps 
right underneath the hollow of an over- 
hanging bank among the tree-roots, or 
in a tuft of rushes or sedge; and the 
first sound of a passing footstep sends 
the wary birds to some safe hiding-place. 
The nest is often made of dead oak- 
leaves, on which are seven or eight 
brown spotted eggs. These shy and 
timid birds may be best watched in the 
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