130 ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS 



the family proceedings of water-hens, and, though culled 

 from our Transactions, may justify repetition, especially 

 when the first was considered by the learned Mr Selby 

 (President in 1835) to be a very" interesting instance 

 of reasoning power in the feathered race ; and that in 

 the second Dr Hardy is the narrator. Mr Selby says 

 that a pair of water-hens had built their nest on the 

 margin of a pond, and, while the female was sitting, 

 a considerable influx of water was admitted from 

 another pond. This addition, threatening the total 

 immersion of the nest, the pair were seen to be busy 

 raising with fresh materials the fabric of the nest, the 

 eggs being meanwhile deposited on the grass. At a 

 later period the hen was found on her nest, and in due 

 course the eggs were hatched. Mr Selby was shown the 

 nest, and he specially noted the added portion.* The 

 other incident is in Dr Hardy's report of a meeting at 

 Belton in 1881. " The water-hen," he says, " is almost 

 domesticated at the keeper's place, and feeds with the 

 poultry. Not far from the burn-side a very interesting 

 circumstance was witnessed, that of the young water- 

 hens of the first brood assisting the mother to feed the 

 babies of a subsequent hatching. First the mother fed 

 the old ones, and then the,y joined and aided her in 

 satisfying the M'ants of their lesser brothers and sisters."-|- 

 Following upon the intellectual display recorded by Mr 

 Selby, this manifestation of filial piety, not to say polite 

 attention, by the young family may cause us to marvel ! 

 We are aware that the lower animals can be amused, 

 that they can be taught many things, and that they can 

 be touched with grief; but we would enquire whether 

 there is now anything left between the water-hen and 

 humanity, unless it be religious adoration. A paper by 

 Miss Vinter (a member of the Natural History Society 



* Vol. I., p. 84 (1835). 



t Vol. VI., Martins assisting to renew a fallen nest, p. 429 (1872) ; 

 Vol. IX., p. 428 (1881). 



