THE WATER HEN. 563 



When she leaves her nest, she pulls over her eggs a quantity of 

 the same substances as those which form the materials of the 

 nest, so that they are completely hidden from sight, and the form 

 of the nest is quite obscured. It is true that the nest is not un- 

 frequently found with the eggs exposed, but this apparent negli- 

 gence is always caused by the frightened bird dashing off at the 

 approach of the intruder, and having no time to cover her eggs 

 properly. The object of covering the eggs was once thought to 

 be the retention of heat, the neighborhood of water being imag- 

 ined to be injurious. As, however, many birds build as close to 

 the water as does the Water Hen, and do not cover the e»-gs, it is 

 evident that concealment, and not warmth, is the object to be at- 

 tained. 



I may mention that the illustration was sketched from a nest 

 before it was removed, and that most of the nests have been 

 drawn in the same manner from actual objects. 



The eggs are many in number, seldom less than six, and often 

 eight, and their united weight is far from inconsiderable, as they 

 are fully proportioned to the size of the bird. The young are the 

 oddest little beings imaginable, looking like spherical puffs of 

 black down rather than birds. They take to the water at once, 

 and if the reader can manage to watch the mother and her little 

 family, he will see one of the quaintest and prettiest groups that 

 our country can supply. The little black balls swim about quite 

 at their ease, keeping within a short distance of their parent, and 

 traversing the water with a rapidity that reminds the observer of 

 the gyrini, or whirligig beetles. In spite of the prolific nature of 

 the bird, it is not so numerous as it might be, having many ene- 

 mies in its youth, the worst of which is the pike, which comes up 

 silently from below, opens its terrible jaws, and absorbs the un- 

 suspecting bird. 



