The Bird Book 



in front of the windows, provided that the pond 

 they frequent is near by. Under other conditions 

 the bird is timid enough, retiring to the shelter of 

 some friendly reeds immediately danger appears, 

 and so lightly does it sit that it is one of the 

 rarest things to see the bird on its nest, probably 

 because it knows that the eggs harmonise with 

 the ready surroundings far better than its own 

 dark plumage. 



As soon as the intruder approaches it slips noise- 

 lessly off its nest and dives, scarcely making a 

 ripple on the water. Then it hides, sometimes 

 crawling up a water-rat's hole, or at others 

 keeping its body submerged, just protruding 

 its beak above water, amongst a floating mass of 

 tangled reeds, and so completely does it trust to 

 its colouring to escape notice, that it will often 

 remain quite still and allow itself to be caught by 

 the hand. Though it has not webbed feet, it can 

 swim and dive well, using its wings to propel it 

 under water, and many an exciting chase has it 

 given us, when, as boys, we used to pursue it 

 merely for the fun of catching it. 



Despite all this, it is not very difficult to become 

 well acquainted with the Moorhen, for in the 

 course of a walk beside almost any sluggish 

 stream, fringed with reeds, you are sure to meet 

 with several. Even small ponds, where weed is 

 plentiful, can generally boast a pair of birds, or at 

 least the numerous tracks, intersecting the " frog's 



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