MOORHEN. 195 



on the head of an okl weeping willow^ which had fallen into 

 the pond at the aforesaid Vicarage. The nest is generally 

 formed of coarse aquatic plants_, and lined with softer portions 

 of the same, but I knew of one placed on a stack of pease 

 haulm, of which material it was entirely composed. 



In walking, the bird constantly flirts up the tail, showing 

 the white feathers, as it also does when swimming, nodding 

 its head at every stroke of its feet. Its flight is heavy and 

 slow, with the feet hanging down, and is seldom extended to 

 any great distance, but at night it often flies round in large 

 circles, uttering from time to time a loud note resembling 

 the syllables, ^'^ tak-a-ma-hak.'" In severe weather it takes 

 to running water, and often seeks for worms, &c., among the 

 dry leaves, proceeding up the ditches into the wider woods. 

 It perches at times on trees, and climbs the bushes with the 

 greatest ease. When suddenly disturbed, it will sink bodily 

 in the water, and, after a little while, a patient watcher may 

 see the head and neck raised above the surface, and, looking 

 round, the bird will rise suddenly and take itself off". 



The curious so-called '^ hairy " variety of the INIoorhen has 

 twice occurred in Sussex, and the specimens are recorded by 

 Mr. J. H. Gurney in the Transactions of the Norfolk and 

 Norwich Naturalists' Society, vol. iii. pp. 581-587, in which 

 he also gives a figure. One of these was obtained at Plump- 

 ton, near Brighton, in November 1878, of which Mr. Gurney 

 observes : " This is the lightest I have seen, the underparts 

 being quite white, and the back a bright orange-red, and this 

 is the most hair-like.''^ I saw this specimen myself at Mr. 

 Swaysland^s. The other was obtained at Isfield, near Lewes, 

 in March 1883, and was purchased by Colonel King. The 

 peculiarity of the appearance of the birds is due to the loss 

 of the cuticle of the plumage, carrying with it the bar- 

 bicules which give the soft look to feathers, and so leaving 

 a worn threadbare surface ; bvit from what cause this decor- 



o2 



