PRELIMINARY CLASSIFIED NOTES 563 



burg, S. Vologda, Kazan, and Ufa governments in Russia. Southward it is 

 tolerably general in Europe, the Mediterranean and Atlantic islands, North Africa, 

 and along the east and west coasts of that continent to Cape Colony. In Asia 

 its breeding range extends apparently to East Turkestan, and possibly the Meso- 

 potamian marshes, but from India and Ceylon north to Dauria, Borneo, Java, 

 and the Philippines to Japan, the Hawaiian Islands, Madagascar and the Mascarene 

 Isles, and America it is represented by allied races. Over a great part of its range 

 the waterhen is sedentary, but many northern breeding birds undoubtedly migrate 

 to the Mediterranean region for the winter, and as a casual it has occurred in the 

 Faeroes and Iceland. [F. c. B. j.] 



3. Migration. Chiefly resident, but decreasing in numbers on the approach 

 of winter in the more northerly parts of Great Britain, and thus increasing in some 

 southern districts. In Ireland its numbers appear to remain constant, and there 

 is little evidence of any intermigration with Great Britain (cf. Ussher and Warren, 

 B. of Ireland, 1900, p. 243). It is, however, probable that a slight autumn emigra- 

 tion to the Continent from the south coast of England takes place in autumn, 

 with a corresponding immigration in spring (cf. Ticehurst, B. of Kent, 1909, p. 

 400). But the evidence of an autumnal immigration on our eastern seaboard 

 is very slight (cf. Nelson, B. of Yorks., 1907, p. 544). Migration flights are per- 

 formed by night, and birds are sometimes killed at the lighthouses. [A. L. T.] 



4. Nest and Eggs. The nest is generally to be found near water, often 

 among growing sedge and rushes and surrounded by water, but also not infre- 

 quently on dry land. Less frequently it may be found in hedgerows, bushes, and 

 in medium-sized trees, sometimes as much as 30 feet from the ground. Instances 

 have been recorded of old woodpigeons', magpies', and rooks' nests being occupied 

 by this species. (PI. Lvm.) Both sexes take part in building operations, and 

 frequently two or three nests are constructed, and after the young are hatched 

 are used to brood the young by both parents. The materials used are chiefly dead 

 flags, reeds, sedges, etc., and the lining consists of dry grasses and various water 

 plants, and sometimes the growing vegetation is drawn together over the nest 

 to conceal it. The eggs as a rule vary in number from 6 or 7 to 10, but occasionally 

 larger numbers may be found, sometimes over 20, though there is generally 

 suspicion that another hen has contributed in such cases to the total. In ground- 

 colour they range from light buff to clay-yellow, and are marked rather irregularly, 

 and chiefly at the big end, with deep reddish brown or purplish red, and underlying 

 ashy grey shellmarks. (PI. N.) Average size of 50 British eggs, 1-76x1-25 in. 



