344 On the Occurrence of some of the Rarer Species of Birds 



bank, and was holding 1 on like grim Death, with its fore paws planted 

 firmly on the ground in front of it, while the poor bird was screeching 

 with terror, and with its whole body hanging over the river was en- 

 deavouring to dive into the water beneath it. Which would have 

 gained the victory in this battle of" French and English" I cannot say^ 

 as my retriever caught sight of and made a dash at them, which caused 

 the stoat to let go its hold, when the Moorhen immediately disappeared 

 beneath the water. Some years ago one of my parishioners, a keen 

 observer of Nature, Mr, John Gay Att water, was walking along the 

 bank of the river, when he noticed a Moorhen with its trip of young 

 ones gambolling about on the bank and in the edge of the water ; 

 when all of a sudden up went the Moorhen's tail (a most expressive 

 member in this bird) and at the same time she uttered a shrill cry 

 of warning. On looking about he observed a stoat on the opposite 

 bank of the stream, which had scented his game, and was evidently 

 debating with himself what was the next move. He soon, however, 

 came to a conclusion, for descending the bank he began deliberately 

 to swim across to the place where the birds had quickly hid 

 themselves amongst the sedges. He had not got half-way across, 

 however, before the parent bird flew straight at the stoat, and 

 catching its head with a raking stroke of its long sharp claws as it 

 was swimming, turned the stoat fairly head over heels in the water, 

 which so surprised and discomfited the animal that it turned tail, 

 and swam back to the opposite bank again. However he could not 

 give up his dinner so easily, and acting on the motto "Labor 

 omnia vincit^ began once more to cross the river. But the Moor- 

 hen was equally decided, and flying at him again, repeated the 

 operation once more, with precisely the same effect ; and so the battle 

 went on between them, until the stoat was so upset, both bodily 

 and mentally, that he turned tail and made off ; and never surely 

 were the long claws of the Moorhen used in a better cause. The 

 flesh of these birds is of an uncommonly good flavour, as might be 

 conjectured from the strong scent they have, which will enable a 

 good dog to catch sometimes one or two couple a day ; as the little 

 retriever I now have has often done. It is most amusing to watch 

 "Gyp" draw carefully down the bank, lifting up one paw quietly 



