104 MOORHEN. 



adult ; dull huffish white below, with speckles on throat and 

 dark brown bars on flanks. Nestling covered with black down. 



Language. A harsh cry resembling " creek." 



Habits. Shy and elusive, always skulking on the slightest 

 alarm ; flies most reluctantly, and with dangling legs. Al- 

 though not web-footed, it swims and dives with facility. Prefer- 

 ably, however, it runs about with extreme rapidity among the 

 rank dense herbage of its marshy home, and is seldom seen. 



Food. Snails, slugs, worms, aquatic plants, &c. 



Nest. April onwards. Two broods. 



Site. In tufts of sedges or rushes ; amongst coarse, rank, 

 aquatic herbage, always well concealed and near water. 



Materials. Coarse grass, bits of sedge, reed-leaves. 



Eggs. Seven to ten. Creamy white, sparsely speckled and 

 spotted with reddish brown and ash-grey. 



MOOEHEN OR WATEE HEN (Gallinula chloropus). 



Eesident. Common throughout the British Isles ; wherever 

 there is water and a bit of cover the Moorhen will find a home. 



Plumage. Frontal disk bright red ; upper parts dark olive- 

 brown. Head, neck, and under parts slate-grey ; some white 

 streaks on flanks ; margin of pure white on the first primary, 

 and under tail-coverts white and conspicuous. Bill yellow. 

 Legs and feet greenish yellow. Toes long. Length 13 in. 

 Female rather larger and brighter. The feathers of this 

 species are peculiar, giving a somewhat hairy appearance 

 rather than feathery. Young, greyish olive above, and ash-grey 

 below. Bill, frontal disk, and legs dull green. Nestling 

 covered with black down. 



Language. Call-note aloud " crek-rek-rek." Alarm-note, 

 " whirro," rather like a frog's croak. 



Habits It runs nimbly on the ground, often using the 

 wings at the same time. It swims and dives well, and, if 

 alarmed, will submerge the body, leaving only the beak above 

 the water. It takes to wing reluctantly, and usually allows its 

 legs to dangle in the water. Both when walking and swimming 

 it bobs its head, and spasmodically jerks its stumpy tail. 

 Pugnacious, and often fights desperately. Usually shy and wary. 



Food. Insects and their larvae ; slugs, worms, grass, 

 grain, &c. 



Nest. March onwards. Two or three broods. 



Site. Among rushes growing in or near water, and in other 

 similar situations ; sometimes in hedges and trees. 



Materials. Dry grass, reed-leaves, and bits of sedge. 



Eggs. Six to ten, or more. Eeddish, buffish white, or clay- 

 colour ; sparingly spotted and speckled with reddish (almost 

 orange) brown, and greyish under-markings. 



