CONCEALING THE EGGS 



with a comfortable nest of hay, was unexpectedly occupied 

 by a moorhen, to the exclusion of its rightful tenant. So 

 you see this bird can make itself quite at home in a variety 

 of situations. 



When leaving its nest deliberately that is to say, when 

 it is not disturbed and obliged to retreat hurriedly the 

 moorhen, like certain other birds, has a habit of covering 

 her eggs with the same kind of material as the nest is com- 

 posed of, and thus concealing them from the sight of 

 possible intruders. The young birds are excellent swimmers 

 from the first, and they take to the water almost as soon as 

 they emerge from the shell. 



FLOATING NESTS 



The beautiful Water-pheasant of India, Ceylon, and 

 Kashmir (Hydrophasianus chlrurgus) makes a nest of grass 

 and similar herbage, which floats on the surface of the water, 

 though occasionally, when built in a rice patch, it is more or 

 less fixed or anchored to the growing stems. 



The Little Grebe, commonly known as the Dabchick 

 (Podicipes jluviatilis\ is equally aquatic in its nesting habits. 

 Almost every patch of water of moderate depth, and not 

 too rapid, is frequented by these expert little divers. The 

 nest is a heap of water weeds somewhere about the edge of 

 the water or in a reed bed ; it is invariably steeped in wet, 

 and is very often half floating. The eggs, four to six in 

 number, are white when laid, but they very quickly become 

 stained and discoloured with mud and the decaying weeds on 

 which they lie. Some people think the bird daubs them 

 over intentionally in order to render them less conspicuous ; 

 however that may be, it is certain that when leaving the 

 nest it covers them over with weeds, often taking advantage 



83 



