MOOR-HEN. 95 



families remain until the following spring, when the original 

 pair drive all the rest away, but not without many severe 

 and curious contests, frequently in the water, when they 

 throw themselves on their backs, and strike at each other 

 with their feet. When either of the combatants begins to 

 find himself worsted, he dives and does not re-appear, thus 

 eluding his adversary by hiding his whole body under water, 

 and merely exposing his beak for respiration.' 



Incubation continues three weeks. The young soon leave 

 the nest, still attended v by their mother, who leads them to 

 the water, but, for a time, they return to it at night for 

 shelter. The hen takes the young at times under her wings. 

 The mother has been seen to fly down with a young bird in 

 each foot, from the nest built a few feet over the water on 

 the branch of a tree. 



The plumage in this species is close and thick-set. Male; 

 weight, from fourteen to sixteen ounces, Bewick says from 

 ten and a half to fifteen, but this may be accounted for by 

 their emaciated condition in very severe weather; length, one 

 foot one inch to one foot two; bill, greenish yellow, the base 

 bright red, ascending up the forehead, both brightest in the 

 spring; iris, dusky reddish. Head, small, and on the crown, 

 as is the neck on the back and nape, deep blackish purple 

 grey; throat and breast above, dark slate grey; below, mar- 

 gined with dull greyish white; on the sides streaked with 

 white, and in the spring glossed with a reflection of green; 

 back, very dark blackish brown, with a tinge of olive, 

 brightest in the spring. 



The wings have a white edge at the bend; primaries, greyish 

 black. The tail, which is greyish black with a tint of deep 

 green, is rounded at the tip; upper tail coverts, white, with 

 some black feathers; the former colour is visibly shewn when 

 the bird, as before mentioned, flirts up its tail. There are 

 sometimes a few white feathers on the thighs. The legs, 

 which are placed rather far backwards, are surrounded above 

 the knee with a red band or garter, and are otherwise, as 

 are the toes, which are very long, the hind one considerably 

 produced as well as the others, pale dull green:- the latter are 

 fringed out with scales. Claws, dark brown. 



The female is like the male, but is less in size; the red on 

 the bill is deficient. The garter above the knee is also less 

 bright. 



The young are at first clothed in black hair-like down. lu 



