THE MOORHEN. 
819 
ponds, lakes, and marshes, of our fatherland; and, 
indeed, we may say, of almost the whole world. With ns 
it is a bird of passage, migrating regularly, and apparently 
very fond of a wandering life, for it travels far. The call 
of the Moorhen may always be heard during the night in 
March and April, when it is on the passage: all of a 
sudden one fine morning the identical pair, so well 
recognized by the close observer as that of last year, is 
to be seen swimming happily about in the village pond, 
in company with the tame Ducks and Geese. Often one 
bird appears first, the other arriving later, or a young 
couple meet and pair for life. 
From this time till September and October these inno¬ 
cent creatures live in their home, breed, rear their young, 
and vanish unnoticed as they came. It is rare that a 
Moorhen ever spends the winter in the north.* 
This little being is so pretty and charming that every 
one who vouchsafes to notice it in the slightest degree 
must feel kindly disposed towards it. It is confiding, 
gay, graceful, neat, gentle, and joyous; carries its pretty 
plumage smooth and close to the body, its short tail 
raised, and its whole appearance is such as to please by 
its finished roundness; its carriage is taking, pleasing, 
light, active; it stalks about with a certain air of self- 
sufficiency, runs with ease and rapidity over the thin coat 
of aquatic plants which cover the pond, as though it was 
terra Jirma ; it climbs cleverly to the top of reed or bull- 
rush; it swims with grace, rapidly and continuously 
bobbing its head with each stroke: in short, its every 
movement affords pleasure to the eye. Besides the 
* In the eastern counties of England the Moorhen, probably owing to our 
winters being milder, is found all the year round, though it is not so numerous in 
the winter.— W. J. 
