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NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS ON THE MOOR-HEN. 
BY 
FRANCES PITT. 
THE most striking characteristic of the Moor-Hen (Gallinula 
c. chloropus) is its strict regard for territorial rights and the 
promptitude with which each pair of birds ejects strangers 
invading their particular piece of water. There are several 
ponds close to my home, and each pool has its tenants, which 
live on fairly good terms with each other all winter, but on 
the first hint of spring become intensely quarrelsome and 
suspicious. As the result of three seasons’ watching I have 
come to the conclusion that it is the young birds of the 
previous spring that cause the trouble, for as soon as the 
winter isa thing of the past the parents chase off the young 
ones which have hitherto lived with them, and these birds, 
wandering about homeless, continually invade, and are as often 
chased away from, already occupied water, until at last they 
find some uninhabited pool and are able to settle down 
in peace. 
The beginning of this activity is a good deal influenced by 
the weather. In 1915 I did not see any fighting before March 
15th, but in 1916 I witnessed a great battle on February 3rd. 
My notes for that day run: “ This afternoon I saw the Moor- 
Hens that live on the garden pond driving off two others. 
The bigger of the pair, which I presume to be the cock, was 
chasing the larger of the two strangers, which took to flight, 
followed by its mate, and made off to the big pool. My 
cock then returned to his hen and displayed before her, walking 
round with his head down, neck stretched out, and his tail 
spread like a fan.” 
After this there were no more combats for a month, for the 
wintry weather had returned, and cold has always a great 
effect on them. For instance, the severe winter of 1916-17 
was a decidedly retarding factor, and in 1917 Moor-Hen 
affairs were quiet until March 26th, when the first duel of the 
season was fought ; after that there was daily excitement, but 
I saw no combat to equal the one fought on the same pool 
in the previous spring (1916). That was indeed a fight, 
beginning in the early hours of the morning. I heard the 
war-cries while it was yet dark, and as soon as it was light I 
got up and looked out of the window, when I saw several 
Moor-Hens running about the lawn, and swimming up and 
down the pond. I came to the conclusion that ‘‘ my pair” 
were repelling a double invasion, there being two pairs of 
strangersinvolved. This wasat 5.40. From 6.0 to 6.30 it was 
most exciting. Both cock and hen went for the invaders, 
