94 MOOR-HEN. 



was drawn to a mass of dry rushes, flags, and reeds, strangely 

 heaped together, about twenty feet above the ground in a 

 spruce fir tree. Curiosity induced him to climb up, when, 

 to his surprise, out crept a Water-Hen, which dropped into 

 the pond and made off towards the shore.' 



The eggs are usually five, six, seven, or eight in number; 

 nine or ten have, however, been often seen in one nest. They 

 are of a reddish or yellowish white colour, spotted and speckled 

 all over with reddish brown, they vary exceedingly in size. 

 Three broods are commonly reared in the year, sometimes, it 

 has been thought, even four; the first eggs are laid the end 

 of April, or in May, and are, in early seasons or localities 

 hatched in the latter month, but otherwise the beginning of 

 June. It is a curious fact, first pointed out to me by Mr. 

 Alington, that the youngest brood is carefully and kindly 

 attended to by that which is its elder, as both are at the 

 same time by the parents, but when a third comes, it is to 

 the abandonment of the first. 



The late Bishop of Norwich, Dr. Stanley, also mentions 

 this fostership: He says, 'They have three broods in a season; 

 the first early in April, and they begin to lay again when 

 the first hatch is about a fortnight old. They lay eight or 

 nine eggs, and sit about three weeks, the cock alternately 

 with the hen. The nest in the thorn bush is placed usually 

 so high above the surface of the water, that when the young 

 are first hatched, and have quitted it, they cannot climb into 

 it again; but as a substitute, within an hour after they leave 

 the nest, the cock-bird builds a larger and more roomy nest 

 for them with sedges, at the water's edge, which they can 

 enter or retire from at pleasure. For about a month they 

 are fed by the old birds, but soon become very active in 

 taking flies and water-insects. Immediately on the second 

 hatch coming out, the young ones of the first hatch assist 

 the old ones in feeding and hovering over them, leading them 

 out in detached parties, and making additional nests for them, 

 similar to their own on the brink of the moat. 



On the appearance of the third brood, the old ones inva- 

 riably drive the first away to a neighbouring pond, where 

 they remain until September, when the first hatch is about 

 half-grown. 



About this time a fresh party of birds makes its appear- 

 ance, which, from their tameness, is, no doubt, composed of 

 broods formerly bred there, and in the moat the united 



