830 
RALLIDiE, 
by disturbing the surface produced a silvery light before its breast 
as it advanced^ and left behind a double track of the same kind, 
so as to exhibit its dark-coloured body to great advantage. 
Several appearing at one view on the water, though all separate, 
imparted variety to the scene : — the laggards had, as usual, to 
betake themselves to their wings to reach their place of refuge 
when I advanced. One day in January 1843, I was amused by 
observing the different methods of escape of these birds under 
similar circumstances. It was near sunset, and the water beau- 
tifully still, with a pale golden gleam upon it. At this period 
of the day, the waterhens regularly leave the side of the river 
at which they are preserved, and betake themselves for the night 
to the better feeding-ground at the opposite side, where during 
the day they would be too much disturbed to remain. On my 
near approach, some of these birds contented themselves with 
swimming across the river — others flew right over it '^with- 
out impediment or stop — while a third party, though flying, 
dipped their legs in the water at the distance of every yard or 
so. This may seem too trivial to be noticed ; but it had a mo- 
mentary interest from being apparently indicative of the different 
feelings of the birds. One, all confidence, swam across the 
stream — ^and beautiful was the y\ like figure it made on the golden 
water — another, aU fear, took at once to its wings — whilst a 
third, partly from confidence and partly from fear, essayed to fly 
across, stooping half-a-dozen times to swim, but, wanting in reso- 
lution, neither swam nor flew properly. The effect of a dark 
day on these birds was evinced here by their fl 3 fing in numbers 
so early as half-past two o^ clock (November 30, 1838) to their 
evening feeding-ground usually resorted to at twilight. They are 
partial to feeding in the stubble fields bordering the river as 
well as among a natural growth of aquatic plants. 
Mr. R. Ball supplied me with the following note a few years ago : 
— The stock of waterhens originally inhabiting the pond at the 
gardens of the Eoyal Zoological Society, Phcenix Park, Dublin, 
has been very much increased of late years. They add a good 
deal to the scenery of the garden early in the morning, when 
