AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 325 



The Water-Rail is an early breeder; we have 

 known instances of the finding of its nest containing 

 full complements of eggs (from six to nine) in the 

 third and fourth weeks of March ; the nest is a small 

 sample of that of the Waterhen, composed of dry 

 leaves of sedge and reeds, but always well concealed 

 in thick reed-beds or amongst the tussocks of coarse 

 sedge and rushes that abound in many parts of our 

 marsh-lands. The eggs have a general resemblance 

 to those of the Land-Rail, but are usually less 

 spotted, smaller, of course, and more rounded than 

 those of that bird. About dusk these Rails become 

 very noisy, and have a considerable variety of more 

 or less discordant notes — a twittering " skirl " and an 

 abrupt sharp single "twit" being the most noticeable 

 amongst them. From the nature of this bii'd and its 

 favourite haunts I have very rarely had an oppor- 

 tunity of observing its actions when not alarmed, but 

 its gait at such times resembles that of the Waterhen, 

 with the same jerking of the tail and a frequently 

 repeated low chuckling note. It takes readily to the 

 water, and swims easily and gracefully in search of 

 food. 



128. WATERHEN. 



Gallinula cliloropus. 



This bird, more commonly known as the Moorhen, 

 is so abundant in all suitable localities in our Islands, 

 and its manners and customs are so easily to be 

 observed, that I feel that a very short notice will be 

 amply sufficient. The Waterhen may be said to 

 swarm in those portions of the Nen valley in which 

 it is not persecuted by man, and there is hardly a 



