THE WATER-RAIL 583 



glancing at the eggs now and again to make sure they are 

 there. 



Once it was my good fortune to see the water-rail making love 

 to her mate ; walking round him and crooning low notes, rubbing her 

 bill against his, and taking short runs to and from him. Then 

 standing in the sunlight she preened her feathers, but seemed unable 

 to reach those at the back of her neck, though it may have been 

 a merely feminine ruse to induce her mate to dress them for her. 

 This he apparently did with much pleasure, drawing each one 

 carefully through his brilliant red bill, but beyond the range of my 

 camera. Mr. Farren on another occasion was more fortunate, and 

 succeeded in getting a photograph of this pretty episode. 



After a period of indecision, the water-rail's sense of her maternal 

 duties seems to come upon her with a rush ; and she then runs, or 

 swims, as the case may be, in a really business-like manner towards 

 the nest, and quietly settles down to brood. 



Both sexes take their share in the duty of incubation, but by far 

 the greater part of it devolves upon the hen bird. I have seen the 

 male feed the female upon the nest, but have not been able to 

 determine the exact nature of the food supplied ; perhaps in these 

 circumstances it is partly regurgitated. 



The young when hatched take to the water almost immediately, 

 but are undoubtedly brought back to the nest at night like young 

 coots and grebes ; for if undisturbed they are seldom found far away 

 from their home during the first week or ten days of their lives. 

 Young water-rails are very quaint pretty little things, but it is 

 seldom that one can get a good view of these tiny bluish-black balls 

 of down disporting themselves in the water, as their young lives are 

 spent among rank aquatic vegetation, and in these secluded 

 surroundings they are jealously guarded by their parents from the 

 world in general, and from human intrusion in particular. The note 

 of the young is a faint "cheep-cheep," which is hardly to be 

 distinguished from that of other young Rallida3. 



