THE WATERHEN 587 



pounced down upon it, but the rail flung itself on its back and 

 fought with bill and claws, even jumping up at and pulling feathers 

 out of its formidable antagonist. This was repeated again and 

 again, as often as the gull tried to seize upon it, but at last the 

 gull was driven off by St. John, and the plucky little rail reached its 

 haunt in safety." l 



THE WATERHEN 

 [F. B. KIRKMAN] 



The waterhen, commonly known by the now very inappropriate 

 name of moorhen (and why hen ?), may be found frequenting almost 

 any piece of water from a lake to a pond or a ditch, provided there 

 is suitable cover and food. 2 Except in places, like St. James's Park in 

 London, where it has nothing to fear, it is much less often seen out 

 on the open water than the coot. On land, however, it is much more 

 venturesome : it may be met with at some distance from water, in 

 all kinds of unexpected places, marching debonairly along with lively 

 flicks of the tail and confidential nods of the head, probably on its 

 way from one piece of water to another. It will, if not molested, 

 enter the farmyard and feed with the poultry, the kitchen garden 

 and feed on the vegetables and fruit, and it will come at the keeper's 

 call and take the food thrown out for the game. It has been known 

 to push its audacity so far as to climb into the head-keeper's pear- 

 tree and eat his pears, and even to appropriate and carry oft' some 

 distance his baby's comforter ! 3 



The waterhen is not uncommonly to be seen on the grass, near 

 water, browsing it or hunting for worms and insects, but it is ever 



1 Quoted from Stevenson's Birds of Norfolk. 



- The Anglo-Saxon indr, from which moor is derived, meant a morass or bog as well as a 

 moor; hence the confusion. One of its cognates is the old Dutch movr, which meant mire, 

 dirt (SKEAT). 



3 J. Vincent, head-keeper of Hickling Broad, in litt. 



