THE WATER-HEN. 
121 
over them, leading them out in detached parties, 
and making additional nests for them, similar to 
their own, on the brink of the moat. 
On the appearance of the third brood, the old 
ones invariably drive the first away to a neighbour- 
ing pond, where they remain till September, when 
the last hatch is about half-grown. About this 
time, a fresh party of birds makes its appearance, 
which, from their tameness, is no doubt composed of 
broods formerly bred there ; and in the moat, the 
united families remain till the following Spring, 
when the original pair drive all the rest away, but 
not without many severe and curious contests, fre- 
quently in the water, when they throw themselves 
on their rumps, and strike at each other with their 
feet. When either of the combatants begins to find 
himself worsted, he dives, and does not reappear, — 
thus eluding his adversary, by hiding his whole 
body under water, and merely exposing his beak for 
respiration. 
During the breeding season, they are constantly 
adding materials to their nest, making sad havoc 
in the flower-garden; for, though straw and leaves 
are their chief ingredients, they seem to have an eye 
for beauty, and the old hen has been seen surrounded 
with a brilliant wreath of scarlet anemones. As in 
this case, so do they usually build their nests on 
stumps of trees, or convenient bushes, by the side of 
the water ; and, artlessly formed as it is of a few 
rushes, one might suppose that it would be easily dis- 
covered; which would be the case, but for the caution 
adopted by the bird, who, before she quits her eggs, 
covers them carefully up, for the joint purpose of 
