File:A history of British birds. By the Rev. F.O. Morris (1862) (14748545794).jpg

Identifier: historyofbritish06morr (find matches)
Title: A history of British birds. By the Rev. F.O. Morris ..
Year: 1862 (1860s)
Authors: Morris, F. O. (Francis Orpen), 1810-1893
Subjects: Birds
Publisher: London, Groombridge and Sons
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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Sea, and in Persia. In Africait is also indigenous, even to the Cape. In Yorkshire the Moor-Hen is plentiful in most parts, butis said to be less so near Halifax and Hebden Bridge. In Ireland it is common and indigenous. In Orkney, while the Loch of Aikerness existed, it wasabundant in that vicinity. It is, however, pretty common invarious directions. It is found in several parts of Sanday.A few pairs have built their nests for some years in themeadow of Crantit, near Kirkwall. Its haunts are among rushes, reeds, sedge, osiers, oibrushwood of any kind, by the sides of ponds, lakes, moats,streams, and rivers, preferring such of the latter as are moreslow and still, or those parts of them that are so. The Moor-Hen, if unmolested, though of a shy nature, sooi.becomes very familiar and tame, and will feed with domesticpoultry, little heeding the approach of man. It is in facteven in its wild state, so to speak, a demi-semi domesticatesspecies. I have seen them on waters where they are no.
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MOOR-HEN. 87 disturbed, heedless of near approach, and tolerant of passers-byon an adjoining public road. The Rev. R. P. Alington hashad them come of their own accord into this hall, and pickup crumbs, and on being disturbed, they would quietly runout of the door, stop, turn a wistful glance of regret back,and commence feeding outside. Pennant mentions a pair which would come to him tofeed with poultry when called; and there are some now sotame on the ornamental waters in St. James Park, thatthey will come close to those who offer them food. Bishop Stanley writes of the Moor-Hen:—In the middleof any such little open space she may usually be detectedswimming about with a joyous sort of jerking motion, but onthe least rustle exciting a suspicion that an enemy is near,gliding silently through the narrow channels, or running witha light tread over the floating leaves, to seek invisible shelterunder the roots or hollows of the bank. Not that she alwaysprefers the water, for often in the

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