200 MOOR-HEN 
it is In many parts of Britain. Except in the northern 
lowland, ponds scarcely exist in Man, and the streams are 
usually too shallow and rapid to suit the habits of the 
bird. 
In the Douglas district the Water-hen’s stronghold is 
the western valley toward Peel, and along the compara- 
tively deep and herbage-bordered Dhoo it is very abundant. 
It may be met with where still water with sufficient cover 
occurs, even along the course of streams generally so swift- 
flowing as the Glass and Santon burn; there are numbers 
on Onchan pond, which in summer is nearly choked with 
vegetation, and it abounds on the lower part of the Sulby, 
and on the small ponds in the north; while in Ballaugh 
Curragh it seems by no means so numerous as might have 
been expected. It is far from abundant on the waters about 
Castletown. 
As recorded by Mr. Kermode, several were picked up 
dead by Mr. Clarke during the great frost of February 
1895, when the Sulby was quite frozen over, and Mr. 
Crellin observes that the Water-hen was very scarce during 
the following year. Mr. Kermode also mentions its roosting 
on trees, and I have seen nests built among the branches 
of willows, and, at Kirby, rhododendrons just over the 
water. 
In May 1901 we saw on the Calf of Man a Water-hen’s 
nest built in a hole in the bank of a small dam near the 
shore, and on the water the mother bird with five downy 
young. When this nest was built there would be no 
cover on the dam, but the foundation of another appeared 
to be commenced among a little low vegetation now 
springing. 
The Water-hen is common in the surrounding districts. 
It is found in Orkney, and even in Shetland, and, probably 
in general not plentifully, in the Outer Hebrides. 
