552 
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 
XXII. 
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 
Water-hen’s Xest built with Peacock’s Feathers. — On July 3rd 
a Water-hen here brought off a brood of about half a dozen, which 
it had hatched in a nest made of the long tail-feathers of Peacocks. 
The nest was raised just above the water, being placed on a branch 
which dips into it. The feathered ends of the long tail-feathers 
were woven into the nest leaving about two-thirds of the quill ends 
hanging out and floating on the water ; smaller tail-feathers and 
quills were put in, in just the same way as roots or reeds. The 
foundation of the nest was made of roots, the feathers forming the 
sides. One of the pair of Water-hens was first seen taking a quill 
feather ; a few days afterwards it took several of the tail-feathers 
which happened to he lying on a lawn opposite the hough on which 
the nest is built. When this was found out, other tail-feathers 
from different parts of the garden were collected and put on the 
lawn for the bird to take. When it took them, it picked them up 
in its beak, ran down to the water and swam across, holding the 
feathered ends, and letting the remainder float at its side. It took 
the greater part of the feathers about a week, before the brood was 
brought off. — F. Barrington, Pentney. 
From the ‘Norwich Mercury’ of November 22nd, 1777. — 
“ Mr. Marsham of Stratton has lately put in practice the advice of 
the learned Mr. Evelyn and Dr. Hales with respect to rubbing and 
washing the stems of trees to promote their annual increase. This 
was done last spring when the buds began to swell ; when some 
ti’ees were washed round from the ground to their tops ; first with 
water and a common shoe-brush till they were quite cleared of the 
moss and the dirt ; then only with a coarse flannel. The washings 
were repeated three, four, or five times a week, during all the dry 
time of the spring and the fore part of the summer, hut after 
