Water Poachers. 171 



better vindicate their general character in this 

 respect than by relating an incident which has 

 occurred annually for some years past. In a 

 quiet pool known to us, a couple of moorhens 

 have annually hatched and reared one or more 

 broods under the shadow of an old thorn-tree, 

 the nest being interwoven with one of the lower 

 boughs which floats on the surface of the water. 

 Under the roots a pair of voles have annualy 

 brought forth several young families ; and yet 

 perfect amity seems to exist between the birds 

 and the rodents. We have seen the eggs lying 

 for hours uncovered and unprotected, and at 

 other times the young birds, not more than a 

 few hours old, swimming about in the water 

 when the voles were constantly feeding, crossing 

 and recrossing from bank to bank. If voles 

 were addicted to killing birds the downy young 

 of the moorhen would have afforded tender 

 morsels, and have been easily obtained in a 

 small confined pool ere they were able to take 

 wing. 



When the eggs of salmon and trout have been 

 submitted to the action of clear running water 

 for a few months they begin to hatch. Prior to 

 this the young fish may be seen inside packed 

 away in a most beautiful manner. The embryo 

 increases in bulk until on some warm April day 

 the tiny fish bursts its shell and finds itself in a 



