32 THE RIVER-SIDE NATURALIST. 



helpless thing and guide it back amongst the sedges, where 

 it will be out of harm's way. 



Moor-hens guard their eggs and young with great care. 

 Jesse says : " A crow was seen to alight on the edge of a 

 piece of water near the nest of a moor-hen. Immediately 

 the cock bird flew at him with such force as to knock him 

 over, and continued the attack with such spirit that the 

 crow soon took to his wings and flew off." 



The moor-hen is found on almost every river, lake, or 

 large sheet of water, and often on very small ponds, 

 throughout the kingdom. It is one of the commonest of 

 our water-birds. When disturbed it flies in a low, flutter- 

 ing, scrambling manner, with its legs hanging down, and 

 slides, as it were, with a long splash amongst the reeds, 

 immediately commencing its peculiar call-note, Crekre-kreck. 

 Seebohm says Kek-ek-ek, modulated at times into Kik-ik-ik or 

 Kerk-erk-erk. Morris, in "The Earthly Paradise," says: 



"And now the water-hen flies low, 

 With feet that well-nigh touch the weeds.' 



This bird, when frequenting ornamental waters near 

 houses, becomes very tame, and some say is able to dis- 

 criminate between friends and strangers, remaining quies- 

 cent and feeding when the usual inhabitants are about, but 

 scuttling away at once on the appearance of a strange man 

 or dog. 



Like many other birds, the moor-hen, having once taken 

 up a particular haunt, allows no other bird to interfere with 

 him, fights bravely for his home, and will drive off all in- 

 truders. Although living as much on the water as the land, 

 its feet are not webbed, and one sees it constantly seeking 

 its food walking with slow and graceful steps over the 

 meadows and lawns. 



The bird is about 13 inches in length, and, what is un- 

 usual, the female is more vividly coloured than the male, 

 and is also somewhat larger. The colour on the back is 

 olive-green, with a red patch on the forehead ; red beak with 

 yellow tip ; yellow-green legs, with a red ring above the joint. 

 The upper part of the tail is dark olive, the under coverts 



