WATER-HEN or MOOR-HEN. 



GALLINULA CH LORD PUS {Linn.). 



Fulica chloropus, Linn. S. N. i. p. 258 (1766). 



Gallinula chloropus, Naum. ix. p. 587 ; Macg. iv. p. 547 ; 



Hewitson, ii. p. 378; Yarr. ed. 4, hi. p. 164; Dresser, 



vii. p. 313. 



Poule d'eau, French ; Teich-huhn, Griinfiissiges Wasser- 

 huhn, German ; Polla de Agua, Gallineta de laguna, 

 Spanish. 



This bird, perhaps more generally known as Moor- 

 Hen, is so common throughout our country that very 

 little description can be required at my hands by those 

 sufficiently interested in British Birds to do my artist 

 the justice of examining his pictures. It is hardly too 

 much to say that the Water-Hen may be found almost 

 wherever there are "water and aquatic plants of sufficient 

 growth to afford concealment and shelter, for it is 

 naturally of a skulking and wary disposition, although, 

 when unmolested, it soon acquires confidence, and often 

 becomes exceedingly tame and fearless. These birds 

 build large nests of dry flags and sedge amongst river- 

 or lake-side vegetation, on rushy islands, ditch-banks, 

 and by no means uncommonly in bushes at a consider- 



