BIRDS. 199 



sitting on its eggs on August 1st; they seemed to inhabit every 

 island we visited. Mr. Eeid of S. Eonaldsay once hatched out 

 some Corncrakes' eggs under a Bantam ; they all did well, and 

 lived for more than eighteen months, and were then only killed 

 by accident. During the whole of that time none of them ever 

 uttered their well-known cry. 



Gallinula chloropus (L.) Moor-hen. 



By no means an abundant species, but is scattered through most 

 of the islands where suitable places are to be found. Low 

 seems never to have seen the bird himself, but mentions it as 

 breeding in the now drained loch of Aikerness. 



Mr. Watt says he has only seen one at Skaill, which he 

 shot. 



Mr. Heddle's father had a note that the "Water-hen bred in 

 N. Ronaldsay and Stronsay, and Mr. Harvey tells us it breeds- 

 in Sanday. 



Mr. Irvine-Fortescue sees one or two most winters about 

 Swanbister, and has known of one nest there ; he accounts for 

 their scarcity by the want of cover round so many of the 

 Orkney lochs. 



As far back as 1845 Mr. Ranken's father saw three or four 

 nests in the Crantit meadows in June ; he also mentions that 

 they breed at Graemeshall, in the south of the Mainland. 

 Mr. Spence also informs us that the Water-hen breeds in South 

 Ronaldsay. 



We ourselves have rarely seen the Water-hen in Orkney ; 

 once in Rousay in 1883, and another time in Egilsay in June 

 1888 ; but we have seen eggs taken both in Rousay and in the 

 Mainland, and were told of several localities in the latter island 

 where they breed. 



Mr. Reid of S. Ronaldsay tried to rear some young birds 

 from eggs placed under the same bantam that reared the Corn- 

 crakes before-mentioned. The eggs hatched out quite right, 

 but, when just hatched, the young birds uttered such a peculiar 

 note, very like a young kitten before it opens its eyes, that the 

 hen got frightened and deserted them. 



