WATERHEN. 561 



the beginning of Aprils and Stevenson records them as late as the 39th o£ 

 August ; it is also said that in some cases the young birds, when able to 

 fly, assist in rearing the later broods, and even help the old birds to make 

 new nests ! The Waterhen generally covers her eggs, when she leaves the 

 nest, with pieces of surrounding vegetation. Several instances are on 

 record where this bird has been known to add materials to its nest to make 

 it higher from the surface of the water ; and in one case at least it would 

 appear that the old birds removed their eggs while this was being done 

 and then replaced them (Selby, Proc. Berwickshire Naturalists^ Club). 

 Mr. Maurice C. H. Bird writes to inform me that he knew of an egg of this 

 bird which was found in an unfinished Blackbird's nest. When suddenly 

 alarmed, the sitting bird generally flies from its nest; but if possible it 

 always prefers to slip quietly off into the water or reeds, in order not 

 to betray the whereabouts of its treasure. When the nest is built in an 

 elevated situation, the young birds are conveyed to the ground in the 

 long claws of their parents. Both birds assist in incubating the eggs. 

 The young birds take to the water shortly after they are hatched, and may 

 sometimes be seen running over the masses of fallen reeds or over the 

 large leaves of the water-lily. If running water be near, the old birds 

 often take their broods to it ; and when alarmed the little creatures will 

 scurry off and take refuge in the nearest holes, or amongst the vegetation, 

 where they lie motionless until the danger is passed. 



In winter, when the still waters are frozen over, these birds often 

 repair to the running streams, and will take up their quarters in woods, 

 plantations, and shrubberies. At this season they wiU even enter stack- 

 yards ; but, unlike the Coots, they seldom or never retire to the coast. In 

 hard weather they often congregate into small flocks ; but this is probably 

 because their feeding-grounds are much more restricted, and not from any 

 gregarious impulse. If the weather still keeps severe the Waterhens have 

 a bad time of it, and numbers are often picked up in an emaciated starved 

 condition. The flesh of this bird, especially of the young, is, when properly 

 dressed, said to be of good flavour. 



The general colour of the adult Waterhen in spring plumage is dark 

 olive-brown, shading into dark slate-grey on the head and neck, and into 

 brown on the quills and primary-coverts; the outside web of the first 

 primary is margined with white ; the whole of 'the underparts are slate-grey, 

 shading into brown on the flanks, which are broadly striped with white, 

 the feathers of the belly having obscure white tips, which become more 

 prominent on the vent; the short under tail-coverts are black, and the 

 long ones are white. The frontal plate and bill are scarlet, shading into 

 yellow at the tip of the latter ; legs and feet green ; irides hazel. The 

 female scarcely differs from the male in colour. After the autumn moult 

 the white tips to the feathers of the belly and vent are more conspicuous, 



VOL. II. ^ ° 



