292 THE NATURAL HISTORY 



nest among corn, clover and grass in the Uplands, 

 where its curious cry, so nearly expressed by its 

 generic name, is often heard during the summer. We 

 have a homely recipe for so accurately imitating this 

 cry, that the bird has often been deceived by the 

 imitation and lured within gunshot. Any one who 

 may be curious to try the experiment, is advised to 

 provide himself with an ordinary short-toothed comb, 

 and draw it rapidly, once backward and forward at 

 regular intervals, across the thin edge of a large bone. 

 Of course, to be enabled to do this with the proper 

 effect, the experimenter must consent to take a lesson 

 from the bird itself. The Moor Hen (Gallinula chlo-. 

 ropus) and the Coot (Fulica atra) are common in all 

 the West Harting Ponds, and, although not web- 

 footed, they are excellent swimmers. We have often 

 seen the moor hen, after a sudden dive on being dis- 

 turbed, quietly anchor itself among the flags and 

 rushes, with its body under the water and its bill only 

 above the surface, in which position it would remain a 

 very long time, if not further molested. Both these 

 species build very large nests among the flags and 

 rushes growing in the water. The Bittern (Botaurtts 

 stellaris) is seldom, if ever, heard " booming in the 

 fallow " here ; it is only a very rare visitor, some three 

 or four individuals probably having been seen, and 

 one shot in the meadows near the ponds, within the 

 last thirty years.* The Common Heron (Ardea 

 cinerea) is frequently seen at Down Park, sometimes 

 in parties of five or six, but they are no doubt 

 stragglers from their well-known establishment at 

 Parham Park. Two instances, at least, of the dis- 

 covery of a heron's nest, one in the fir clump on West 

 Heath, the other on a tree at the Pond-tail, are well 

 authenticated, but the nests and eggs were un- 

 fortunately destroyed. The Wild Goose (Anser 



* Another was shot in January, 1875. 



