RALLID^E. 447 



the Moorhens, as wherever a pair have established 

 themselves they will allow of no interference or 

 close proximity, all intruders, even their own young 

 of the year before, being driven off, and a sharp 

 watch kept lest some wanderer should intrude within 

 the forbidden limits. 



Although the Moorhens eventually drive off their 

 young ones when they come to an age to shift for 

 themselves, during their younger days they are most 

 attentive parents, and show great pluck in their de- 

 fence, attacking much larger birds as well as animals. 

 In July, 18(57, when fishing with a friend near here, 

 I had an opportunity of witnessing a very curious 

 display of pluck and sagacity exhibited by a pair of 

 these birds in defence of their young against a stoat. 

 As the fish were not in the right humour, I was 

 sitting on some rails by the pond, when all of a 

 sudden I heard a splash in the water and a loud 

 alarm cry of the Moorhen. On looking round I saw 

 the bird taking her brood as fast as possible to some 

 thick rushes a little way out in the pond : the other 

 old bird, probably the male, kept walking about on 

 the mud and amongst the long grass and rushes on 

 the bank the others had left : he was evidently in a 

 state of great perturbation, walking carefully about 

 and constantly uttering his alarm cry. One tuft of 

 long grass seemed to have a special attraction for 

 him, and he walked several times all round it, and 

 once even he trod on it, when out jumped a stoat, 



