498 Birds. 



occasions. The last expedition of this kind I made was in August, 1842. Coots were 

 caught and shot in plenty, and others flew away; but although I saw dabchicks both 

 before the hunt began, and afterwards in their hurried visits to the surface, not one 

 was taken. By their power of diving they were alike safe from the dog and the gun, 

 when once upon the alert ; and to me it was evident, from their leaving the thick edg- 

 ing of rushes and reeds which bordered the fleets, that they trusted at least as much to 

 that power as to the hope of concealment. Moorhens and young coots, on the other 

 hand, trust to their concealment; and I have known dogs go over these birds again 

 and again, and at last only detect them by actually treading on them. So well aware 

 does a dog become of this habit of the moorhen, that one who is much used to hunt 

 them, will try to discover their concealment, not by rushing into the reeds and trust- 

 ing as much to his noise as his nose, but by trotting gently along the side of the co- 

 vert in the hope of catching a hint from the tainted air. Two or three dogs of my 

 acquaintance had this habit, and profited greatly by it. I have more than once had 

 the curiosity, when my sudden appearance on the bank of a pond containing moor- 

 hens had caused one of them to seek concealment by diving, to wait for its emer- 

 gence. I seldom waited in vain if I remained perfectly quiet; and especially if I 

 could ensconce myself behind a tree or bush. The bill was first thrust higher out of 

 the water — then followed the head as far as the eyes — and then the whole head. Care- 

 ful glances were thrown around, and if all remained quiet the whole bird presently re- 

 appeared; and it resumed its search after food. I apprehend that no moorhen — that 

 no bird whatever indeed, could put itself into this posture and retain it independently 

 of external assistance. The feet are the instruments by which they are enabled to re- 

 main in the state of submergence : with them— and how tenacious of their grasp they 

 are any one who has had a wounded bird in his hand can tell — they lay hold on some 

 weed or flag, and by the purchase so obtained resist the tendency of the water to buoy 

 up their body. I remember on one occasion seeing the legs of one extended in a most 

 awkward fashion : and I have seen the weeds still retained by the toes after the bird 

 had been shot in its concealment. Accounts of the almost domesticated state of wa- 

 terhens are common ; but their mischievous propensities when so encouraged near a 

 garden are scarcely touched upon. I will narrate their achievements in a garden in 

 Essex, with the owner of which I was intimately acquainted. The garden as well as 

 house was surrounded by a moat, one end of which was grown up with willows and 

 flags; — and the moorhens having been much encouraged, were very numerous. I 

 have seen as many as fourteen or fifteen at once on one single bed of cabbages They 

 picked the peas, the strawberries, the currants, the gooseberries ; stripped the newly- 

 planted young cabbages and greens, till nothing was left but a bit of bare stalk. In 

 short they destroyed much of the small fruit and vegetables in a productive garden ; 

 and it became necessary to destroy them. If I had not witnessed the havoc produced 

 I should scarcely have credited it. The moorhen may frequently be found perching 

 in a tree or thick hedge. When as yet shooting even a moorhen on the wing was to 

 me an " event," I remember finding a certain pond was frequented by two of them. I 

 went with my gun, on " hostile purpose bent." About thirty yards from the pond stood 

 a thick thorn hedge. The bird flew from the pond towards the hedge, and just as it 

 reached the hedge I fired. The bird fell into the hedge, and I went in great exulta- 

 tion to pick up my game : but none was forthcoming ; and I was obliged to retreat 

 with only my own conviction that I had " hit it very hard." On repeating my visit 

 to the pond shortly after, to my surprize both the birds flew out as heretofore. I fired 



