Bird World 
Notes. 
(168) 
THE BIRD WORLD. 
Its Natural Habits. 
In its wild state the Moorhen feeds on slugs, 
insects, grass (it grazes just like a Goose), and 
water weeds. When tame in the parks, or when 
pressed by hunger, it visits farmyards in the 
winter; it will eat also bread, corn, and poultry- 
meal. When hunted it dives under water and 
holds on to the weeds with its feet, leaving only 
its beak exposed to enable it to breathe. Occa¬ 
sionally under these circumstances it gets en¬ 
tangled in the weeds and drowned. If pursued 
and caught on land a Moorhen will sometimes 
feign death, and remain apparently dead, for 
hours, until a suitable opportunity for escape 
occurs, when the little creature suddenly springs 
into life again, and if water be near it will 
plunge in, splashing up a sheet of spray with its 
feet to cover its retreat, or if there be no water 
within reach it will run swiftly away and seek 
safety by hiding under bushes or in long grass. 
The Moorhen usually nests on the ground among 
rushes, which she will cleverly bend down over 
her seven or eight orange-speckled eggs so that 
they may not be seen from above. She rears 
two or three broods in the season, and the elder 
young will often assist in feeding the younger. 
To feed their young Moorhens disgorge the food 
they have swallowed, shaking their heads vigor¬ 
ously from time to time to aid in the process of 
bringing it up. 
Strange Nesting Place. 
Occasionally a Moorhen will make her nest 
in a tree several feet from the ground. Then it 
is very pretty to watch the bird, not flying to 
her home, but gracefully gliding and walking 
from the water up the overhanging branches to 
her aerial nursery. Like the Coot, when her 
chicks are hatched the Moorhen will often build 
additional nests for roosting places. When the 
Moorhen flies it is feebly and heavily, with a 
loud flapping of wings; yet it migrates, and its 
distribution is world-wide. It has a wild, glad 
cry, often loud and startlingly strange on an 
evening in spring or early summer. Its form 
is quaint and lovely, and its graceful gambols and 
pretty posturings make of the little Moorhen a 
living poem. But, besides this, it possesses the 
unfailing attraction of being an amusing crea¬ 
ture, the watching of whose ways is an inex¬ 
haustible source of entertainment and recreation. 
Opportunity for studying the habits of these wild 
birds, grown wondrously tame since they suffer 
no persecution from man in the London parks, 
is one of the many privileges of citizenship. Yet 
how few know the capabilities of the capital, or 
could find their way to the spots therein where 
they might be refreshed and exhilarated by meet¬ 
ing wild nature face to face. 
Our Letter Box. 
To the Editor of the Bird World. 
“ LITTLE PIP.” 
Sir, —I am much interested in your Bird World 
magazine, especially in Miss Rutt’s articles on 
“Little Bird Friends.” I have been wondering if 
your readers would like to hear about my tame 
canary. His name is “Little Pip,” but he has other 
names ; for instance, when he wakes my husband up 
too early he is addressed as “Noisy Jim.” He is 12 
years old, not quite pure bred, having some dark 
feathers on his back. He spends a good deal of 
his time out of his cage, his favourite perch being, 
on the window sash, where I have placed a narrow 
cushion to protect his feet from the draught. He is 
always out during meals, hopping about the table¬ 
cloth, his breakfast (a few hemp seeds) he finds in¬ 
side a serviette-ring, where he never forgets to look 
for it. If it should not be ready he flies on my 
shoulder, to see if I have a seed in my mouth for 
him—if not, he gives me many kisses—-sometimes 
six. He is much indulged in “tit-bits” which we 
fix between the bars of his cage, such as a fruit 
jujube, an almond, a grape, a bit of apple or a little; 
jam and biscuit, also he is very fond of eating a 
primrose or a cowslip. With it all, he is in good 
health, sings well and takes a bath every day, even 
in the severest weather. He is very fond of running 
off to his cage with anything I give him to play with,, 
such as a piece of cotton, a postage stamp, or a 
threepenny piece. He likes to hear our phonograph,, 
being very partial to a favourite waltz, “Estudian- 
tina,” joining in and singing very lustily. We have 
taken a record of his voice, which is fairly good 
but a little disjointed, owing to the pauses he made. 
He has been with me in South Wales seven years, 
but is a native of Bath, and has been a great 
traveller, having visited many parts of England and 
also been with me to France. When visiting the 
English lakes, I once had to leave him alone inside 
a coach and four while I took the outside, but he 
was very happy, singing all the time. If you have- 
been interested in this account of my little pet, I 
would send you another time a few words on “ How 
I feed my wild birds.” 
JULIA B. WILLIAMS. 
Sunny Bank, Merthyr Tydfil. 
[We shall indeed be most pleased to receive your 
promised communication.— Ed.] 
A Rare and Interesting Exhibit. 
Mr. Maxwell’s Quail Finch, First Prize Camberwell 
(L.P.O.S.) Show. 
