THE MOOR-HEN 33i 



thicket of weeds. A nest and eggs of this bird are thus described 

 in the Annals of Natural History : ' The bird had selected for 

 her nest a thick tuft of long grass, hollow at the bottom, on the 

 side of the reed pond ; the nest, about an inch and a half thick, 

 was composed of withered leaves and rushes ; it was so covered 

 by the top of the grass, that neither bird, nest, nor eggs could be 

 seen ; the entrance to the nest was through an aperture of the 

 grass, directly into the reeds, opposite to where any one would 

 stand to see the nest.' The number of eggs is about ten or eleven. 

 Its note during breeding is a loud, groaning cro-o-o-an. 



THE MOOR-HEN 



GALLfNULA CHl6rOPUS 



Upper plumage deep olive-brown ; under tail-coverts and edge of the wing 

 white, the former with a few black feathers ; under plumage slate colour, 

 the flanks streaked with white ; base of the bill and a space on the 

 forehead bright orange, point of the bill yellow ; irides red ; feet olive- 

 brown ; a red ring round the tibia. In females the colours are brighter 

 than in the males. Young birds have the front of the neck whitish, 

 the belly grey, the base of the beak and legs olive-brown. Length 

 thirteen inches. Eggs buff, spotted and speckled with orange-brown. 



Of the two common names of this bird, ' Moor-hen ' and ' Water- 

 hen ', the former is that which is more generally in use, though 

 the latter is the more appropriate. The bird frequents moors, 

 it must be admitted, but only such as are watery ; whUe there is 

 scarcely a river, lake, canal, brook, or even pond, of moderate 

 dimensions, which Moor-hens do not either inhabit aU the year 

 round or occasionally visit. The name is objectionable on other 

 accounts ; the male bird is called a Moor-hen as well as the female, 

 while the terms Moor-fowl and Moor-cock have long been applied 

 to the Ptarmigan. For these reasons, I suppose, many recent 

 ornithologists Anglicize the systematic name, and call it the 

 Gallinule, which means ' little fowl ', and is suggestive of the half- 

 domestic habits of the bird, under certain circumstances. 



The Gallinule being a common bird of some size, conspicuous 

 colours, and active habits, is an interesting appendage of our 

 rivers and pieces of artificial water. Its note, something between a 

 bark and a croak, is as well known in watered districts as the note 

 of the Cuckoo, and is often uttered when the bird has no intention 

 of being seen. Any one who may happen to be walking on the 

 bank of a reedy pond may perhaps hear its strange cry and see 

 the bird itself at some little distance, swimming about with a 

 restless jerky motion, often dipping its head, and with every dip 

 tiuTiing slightly to the right or the left. If he wishes for a nearer 

 view, let him advance quietly, concealing himself as much as he 

 can ; for if he proceeds carelessly, and takes off his eyes for any 



