WAYS OF THE WATER-HEN. [To THE EDITOR or THE "
SPECTATOR.") Sin,—Mr. Douglas Gordon's article on the moor-hen reminded me of an incident I saw in one of the side streams at Cookham in 1911. The stream is about six yards across, bare on the side on which I was standing, with possibly a yard and a half of thick reeds on the other, beyond which was a large pasture. I noticed a pair of moor-hens making a good deal of fuss with their young ones, which were a little bigger than newly-hatched ducks. It was very soon clear that the parents wanted to get their three chicks well out into the deep water, and equally obvious that the chicks did not want to go there, because, when their parents' backs were turned for a moment, they tried to go back into the reeds. At last all three were persuaded to go well into the open and stay there, and when this was accom- plished both old birds went back into the reeds in a way that is best described as with savage determination. It may sound queer, but if ever two peaceable birds looked really fierce those two moor-hens did then. They had hardly vanished before a violent riot arose in covert, their voices dominating the situation, and after a minute or so I saw a stoat, with distinct signs of ill- usage about him and with one black feather in his mouth, bolt out of the back of the reeds and do excellent time across the pasture. He did not trouble to look for a hedge row or cover of any kind. What he seemed to want to do more than any- thing else was to put as much ground between himself and the savage moor-hens as possible. At the same time the moor-hens reappeared, preening themselves and looking conscious of having done a good piece of work well. [I hardly expect this story to be believed, but it is true.] Apropos of Mr. Gordon's remarks about the distribution of the carrion crow, I saw one here a week ago. He settled on the roof of a house opposite the window at which I was writing, and stayed there long enough for me to turn a pair of field- glasses on to him. Kestrels, which ho mentioned, are fairly common here, and I have seen one when on my way to town as near in as Brixton Town Hall.—I am, Sir, &c., GRAHAM Hon
apt
77 Stanthorpe Road, Streatham, S.W.(C 16.ain, late R.F.A.).
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