330 rallidjE. 



by disturbing the surface produced a silvery light before its breast 

 as it advanced, and left behind a double track of the same kind, 

 so as to exhibit its dark-coloured body to great advantage. 

 Several appearing at one view on the water, though all separate, 

 imparted variety to the scene : — the laggards had, as usual, to 

 betake themselves to their wings to reach their place of refuge 

 when I advanced. One day in January 1843, I was amused by 

 observing the different methods of escape of these birds under 

 similar circumstances. It was near sunset, and the water beau- 

 tifully still, with a pale golden gleam upon it. At this period 

 of the day, the waterhens regularly leave the side of the river 

 at which they are preserved, and betake themselves for the night 

 to the better feeding-ground at the opposite side, where during 

 the day they would be too much disturbed to remain. On my 

 near approach, some of these birds contented themselves with 

 swimming across the river — others flew right over it "with- 

 out impediment or stop " — while a third party, though flying, 

 clipped their legs in the water at the distance of every yard or 

 so. This may seem too trivial to be noticed ; but it had a mo- 

 mentary interest from being apparently indicative of the different 

 feelings of the birds. One, all confidence, swam across the 

 stream — and beautiful was the /\ like figure it made on the golden 

 water — another, all fear, took at once to its wings — whilst a 

 third, partly from confidence and partly from fear, essayed to fly 

 across, stooping half-a-dozen times to swim, but, wanting in reso- 

 lution, neither swam nor flew properly. The effect of a dark 

 day on these birds was evinced here by their flying in numbers 

 so early as half-past two o' clock (November 30, 1S38) to their 

 evening feeding-ground usually resorted to at twilight. They are 

 partial to feeding in the stubble fields bordering the river as 

 well as among a natural growth of aquatic plants. 



Mr. E. Ball supplied me with the following note a few years ago : 

 — " The stock of waterhens originally inhabiting the pond at the 

 gardens of the Royal Zoological Society, Phoenix Park, Dublin, 

 has been very much increased of late years. They add a good 

 deal to the scenery of the garden early in the morning, when 



