174 BRITISH BIRDS. [vVoL. XI. 
I disturbed two Moor-Hens, which were feeding with their 
seven young ones, the latter about a week old, in the middle 
of a pond. The old birds gave the danger call and splashed 
off with a great deal of fuss in one direction, followed by two 
of the chicks, but the rest swam quietly away in the opposite 
direction to their parents and hid under a bush. For the first 
few weeks of their lives the young birds make the nest their 
headquarters, returning to it to rest in the daytime and to 
sleep at night, and the old birds continue to bring material, so 
the structure still grows. I have seen anest piled with freshly 
picked ferns and marsh-marigold leaves, and when it is made 
among reeds the birds will go on improving it by pulling down 
and bending over the surrounding leaves and stems. It is 
wonderful how a pair of Moor-Hens will cover up a nest if 
situated among yellow flags, bending down and pulling over 
the leaves until the nest is quite roofed in and hidden—a 
necessary precaution here, for there is a large rookery close at 
hand, the inhabitants of which are most determined thieves 
of eggs. 
Very often, as a rule, indeed, the Moor-Hens are not con- 
tented with one nursery, but make a second nest especially 
for the use of the young, sometimes even two or three, and 
these supplementary nests are in all respects identical with the 
nests used for incubation, the best specimens being carefully 
lined with leaves, rushes, and grass. One that I examined 
was finished with bits of hay that must have been brought 
some yards. Being such indefatigable nest-builders they 
usually make an entirely fresh nest for the second clutch of 
eggs (laid at the end of June and hatching the middle of July), 
but I have lately met with a case of the old nest being 
thoroughly done up and used again, despite the fact that the 
owners had made a “ nursery nest ” for the use of the earlier 
family. The incubation nest that was used twice became 
quite a large pile of sticks, leaves, and rushes, but as soon as 
the last young ones were fairly active the old birds made a new 
nursery nest for them. 
To return to the appearance and behaviour of the young 
birds— every one knows the bizarre colouring of a baby Moor- 
Hen, coal-black down, red shield and beak, and the semi-bald 
head showing pinky-yellow at the top and blue above each 
eye. In consequence of a question asked me by Mr. J. R. B. 
Masefield I kept careful note of the colour changes of the 
beak and shield, for the brilliant scariet disappears compara- 
tively soon, and is not reassumed until the bird is full grown. 
I found it began to fade at about the third week, and Mr 
Masefield has suggested to me that this startling colouring 
must serve as a recognition mark while the young are being 
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