September 1, 1894.] 



KNOWLEDGE 



213 



tidal rivers ; but except on these occasions they remain, 

 summer and winter, in the same locahty. 



The water-hen belongs to the rail family (RaUidir), the 

 members of which have not webbed feet, though several of 

 them have either partially webbed feet, or are provided 

 with an analogous growth to aid them in swimming. 

 The water-hen has on both sides of each of its toes a 

 narrow membrane, which expands as the foot strikes the 

 water, thus greatly enlarging the width of the toes, and 

 aft'ording the foot a greater resistance against the water. 



The feet are exceedingly large, and the toes very long 

 for the size of the bird, making it look almost awkward. 

 The usefulness of these overgrown toes, however, is soon 

 apparent when we watch the bird gliding over reeds and 

 rushes, and threading its way in and out through a 

 labj'rinth of flags. The bird walks with perfect ease over 

 huge networks of reeds, which have laced themselves 

 together after the growth of years, its large feet preventing 

 it from slipping through the meshes. 



The water-hen resorts to all sorts of methods to elude 

 its pursuers. Sometimes it will lie motionless, hiding 

 itself amongst 

 rushes and 

 refusing to fly. 

 I have known 

 them to lie so 

 close that a 

 young retrie- 

 ver brought 

 one in his 

 mouth out of 

 some reeds. 

 At other times 

 the water-hen 

 swims along 

 half under 

 water, like a 

 water - logged 

 vessel, with 

 just the top 

 of its back 

 and its head 

 and neck show- 

 ing above the 

 surface, thus 

 often escaping 

 notice. In 

 swimming and 

 diving the 

 water-hen is 

 also an expert; 



it dives down, swims some distance under the water, using 

 both wings and legs, and suddenly comes up again at the 

 most imexpected spots. Sometimes it will only put its head 

 and beak above the surface, and after taking a breath of 

 air disappears again, to rise in the midst of some rushes, 

 amongst which it is soon lost to view. 



The bird swims with a very jerky motion, going from 

 side to side in a restless way, and moving its head 

 backwards and forwards as it proceeds, every now and then 

 dipping its head into the water in pursuit of some small 

 fish or insect. 



A bird so clever in the water is usually clumsy on laud, 

 but not so with the water-hen. It walks about neatly, and 

 runs very quickly, nodding its head and bobbing its tail, 

 each time displaying its white imder-feathers. Its adroitness 

 on land enables it to obtain more varied food than if it were 

 confined to the water only — grass, slugs, worms, insects, 

 and grains being in this way added to its diet. 



Water-Hens and Nest; the female bird is leaving the eggs. 



Although very shy, the water-hen soon becomes tame, 

 and indeed semi-domesticated, on a piece of water near 

 the haunts of men. If ducks are kept on the same pond 

 the water-hens will come and feed with them when corn 

 is thrown down, and they may often be found on ponds 

 adjoining a railway, taking no notice of the passing trains. 

 Its flight is low and straight. When passing over the 

 water it keeps so low that its legs, which hang down 

 during flight, very often trail along the surface, leaving a 

 track of bubbles. 



The call note is a loud " crek-rek-rek," seldom uttered in 

 the day, but during the evening the note may be repeatedly 

 heard. 



It builds its nest in very varied situations. Usually 

 it is placed amongst reeds or rushes, but often in the 

 branches of a tree overhanging the water and nearly 

 touching it, and sometimes even in a branch ten or twelve 

 feet up a tree. At other times it may be found on the top 

 of a mass of (-lehria on the bank of a stream. The water- 

 hen is a careless builder and seldom attempts to conceal 

 the nest, although it will often cover the eggs on leaving 



them. The 

 nest is built of 

 flags or rushes, 

 and varies 

 greatly in 

 size. Though 

 generally flat 

 and long, I 

 once found 

 one round and 

 deep, which, 

 strange t o 

 say, was com- 

 posed of leaves 

 and grass. 

 The eggs are 

 six to eight 

 i n number, 

 and they are 

 dull white 

 speckled with 

 reddish- 

 brown. Two 

 or even three 

 broods are 

 reared in a 

 season, so that 

 although the 

 water - hen 

 may be a care- 

 less nest-buUder she cannot be said to be an idle mother. 



The first eggs are generally laid early in April, and in 

 three weeks the young are hatched. When first hatched 

 they appear as fluft'y black balls of down, and immediately 

 take to the water, swimming about and diving with perfect 

 ease. In the evening the old bird may often be seen 

 brooding the young in the nest, with perhaps one or more 

 of her chicks on her back. When they are big enough to 

 fly, however, they accompany their parents to roost in the 

 bushes and trees near the water. 



The eggs of this bird can be hatched under a hen, and 

 when the young are so reared they become very tame, and 

 may be kept in an aviary, or on ornamental water. 



The female is slightly larger and a little brighter in 

 colour than the male, but otherwise she resembles her 

 mate. The upper parts of the bird are of a glossy olive- 

 brown, so dark that at a distance the bird appears to be 

 almost black. The under parts are dark slate-grey shading 



