MOOB-HEN. 89 



the rail in front of the box. A Water-Hen observing this, 

 went and stood upon the rail as soon as the Pheasant had 

 quitted it; but the weight of the bird being insufficient to 

 raise the lid of the box, so as to enable it to get at the 

 corn, the Water-Hen kept jumping on the rail to give 

 additional impetus to its weight; this partially succeeded, 

 but not to the satisfaction of the sagacious bird. Accordingly 

 it went off, and soon returning with another bird of its 

 own species, the united weight of the two had the desired 

 effect, and the successful pair enjoyed the benefit of their 

 ingenuity. We can vouch for the truth of this singular 

 instance of penetration, on the authority of the owner of the 

 place where it occurred, and who witnessed the fact.' 



The flight of this species is, for the most part, low as well 

 as slow, with the legs drooping down. During the fine warm 

 nights of summer they may, at times, be heard, that is the 

 male birds, flying about and uttering their note over-head at 

 a considerable height in the air. If disturbed in open 

 water, the Moor-Hen will take to its wings, but if near 

 the nest, or in the proximity of cover, will, if it does not 

 use that mode of escape, resort to diving, and after the 

 latter, especially if pursued by a dog, will seldom rise to the 

 surface again, but remain submerged, the bill only being 

 kept up for the purpose of breathing. For a conclusive 

 essay on this power possessed by various water-birds, I refer 

 my readers, as I have already done in a former instance, to 

 a paper by my brother, Beverley R. Morris, Esq., in the 

 'Naturalist,' volume i. The Moor-Hen not unfrequently scales 

 trees of the smaller size. I have found one on the top of 

 an ivy-covered thorn bush, some ten or twelve feet from the 

 ground: such a place, or the head of a lopped oak is a 

 favourite resort. I have frequently observed others going to 

 roost in alder trees, scrambling along the branches at a like 

 height. 



They seem, when in such situations during the day-time, to 

 like to keep near the trunk, at least in fir-trees. They are 

 then easily approached quite close, and only quit on being 

 alarmed. If surprised on the land they will either run or 

 fly to the nearest cover or water, or combine the two 

 motions, and then hide in a hole, or under or among the 

 vegetation. They progress beneath the water by the united 

 action of both wings and legs, the expanded membrane of 

 the toes assisting their advance. They are good swimmers, 



