64 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



their down. They will not permit the approach of any- 

 strange bird after the young are hatched. An inquisitive 

 Water-hen narrowly escaped with its life when attacked by 

 the enraged pair, and Swans, in spite of their size, were kept 

 well away from the nest and young. Individuals may not be 

 so intolerant of strangers. One March a Pochard came to 

 the pond to feed in the evening, and this duck frequently 

 stole the weed brought up by the Coot without causing 

 resentment on the part of the latter. The Pochard dived 

 freely on its own account but the sight of the Coot, with 

 its hard-earned prize, was always too much for it. Being a 

 faster swimmer than the Coot, it could keep pace with its 

 victim and escape without effort. 



The following calls of the Coot have been noticed : a loud 

 ringing "tunk" or " kunk," the usual call note; a louder and 

 more bell-like " kwing " or " kong " used in courting ; a cry 

 which might be rendered "tnewt," accompanied by a sharp nod 

 of the head and open beak as though the bird were sneezing ; 

 and a "mewing" note, apparently to the young, which does 

 not seem to be often uttered, having been heard by me only 

 once. The call of the downy chick is a rasping " queer " or 

 " creer," and later, a less hoarse "quee-eek" or "quee-eep." 

 Whether both birds utter the " tnewt " note is not clear. 

 On two occasions, once when the pair was returning 

 from the successful repulse of a Water-hen, and once when 

 the adults and their brood were surprised near the bank, 

 one bird has uttered the ordinary call and the other the 

 " tnewt " note. 



The food of the adult has been in all cases the weed 

 growing in the pond, but it does not touch the floating 

 growth. Insects, of course, are consumed, these being 

 picked from the surface of the water and even snapped in 

 the air when opportunity offers, and the willow stems and 

 banks of the pond are examined closely for lurking insects. 

 An immature bird has been seen to swallow a willow leaf 

 which it tore from a stem, but this seems unusual. 



