290 



BIRDS. 



weather, they have come up to the houses to get fed, and if this was 

 carelessly done dire were the effects. If, for instance, potato 

 peelings, hot or cold, were thrown out to them, something like the 

 following took place : In an incredibly short time the whole would be 

 gobbled up post-haste by one, two, or more Waterhens. Then there 

 appeared to be a feeling of intense satisfaction. Then sleep became 

 imminent : up went one leg, the head got tucked under the w^ing ; 

 a see-saw motion began to be developed ; and lastly, a totter and the 

 final fall over on the unsupported side, and "death supervened." 

 Poor " Tucky " was dead as potato peelings could make her, and never 

 again would she " tuck." Let us hope, however, she died happy. 



Mr. Milne seems to have a higher opinion of their intellect in the 

 north-east of the area. He calls it a " cheeky bird," and speaks of 

 it as "common in the streets of the town by the side of the stream 

 which runs through Fordoun." ^ 



[Obs. — Purple Waterhen {Porphyrio hyacinthus). Temm. 



do. {Porphyrio smaragnotus). Temm. 



Some of the occurrences of these two forms may be of genuine wild origin ; 

 but others as certainly owe their occurrences in this country to escaping from 

 confinement, thus rendering it extremely difl&cult for the historian to award 

 definite values. 



One of the latter and more eastern form — Porph. smaragnotus — was shot 

 on the tidal Tay near Errol, and is now in the Perth Museum. It was duly 

 recorded by Col. Drunimond Hay {Trans, and Proc. Perth Soc. Nat. Sciences, 

 1893-8, p. 71), and again more fully in The Scottish Naturalist, vol. iv. 

 p. 37. 



^ It is remarkable to find some members of this family "cheeky "' and others shy, 

 and others again sly, while others yet are actually impertinent to an excess. The "Weka- 

 weka Rail of New Zealand, for instance, combines cheekiness or impertinence with 

 robbery and slyness. As for shyness, it has none, but makes up for that in its struggle 

 for existence by fastly developed swiftness of action and intuitive display of alacrity 

 in "getting out of the road" when wanted. The Weka-weka deserves to take first 

 place in school among its relatives, if one-third of the tales I have heard are true. The 

 Corn-Crake is a curious character. He combines shyness with intense curiosity, and 

 he does himself well on the whole. He is easily "called up " in the spring or summer, 

 and appears ridiculous. He will sit on a window-sill and stare at you on the other side 

 of the pane of glass, craning his neck absurdly from side to side, and even giving one 

 the idea that he was playing snooks at you, and if unduly encouraged might take ofi" 

 some of one's own idiosyncrasies. I know I have seen him shrug his shoulder and 

 shut one eye (but did not open his arms, or wings, at the same time). Then suddenly 

 out comes a stentorian Crrrrraaaake, and with that he pops down into the docks, 

 which hide him from view at once, and he is soon seen scuttling across the gravel head 

 down and shoulders working for all they can, till he disappears in the grass. Last : 

 one more triumphant " swear."' 



