CATALOGUE OF BIRDS. 6 1 



apparent inconvenience to the builder. Mr. R. 

 Kearton records an instance of this kind which he 

 saw on a large reservoir in south Yorkshire. 



Sir Thomas Browne, writing of the birds of 

 Norfolk, somewhere about 1635, said: "Coots are 

 in very great flocks on the broad waters. Upon 

 the appearance of a Kite' or Buzzard I have seen 

 them unite from all parts of the shore in strange 

 numbers ; when, if the Kite stoop near them, they 

 will fling up and spread such a flash of water with 

 their wings that they will endanger the Kite, and so 

 keep him off again and again in open opposition." 

 The late Lord Lilford confirmed this observation 

 from his own experience in the Epirus. 



The best sport obtained with this species is by 

 making up a party and having a " Coot Drive." 

 This consists of five or six guns going out in 

 separate boats, and each taking up a position 

 amongst the reeds and rushes that generally 

 surround the lake where the birds are. When the 

 guns are in position, another man, a ghillie, in fact, is 

 sent forward in another boat to drive the birds out 

 of the reeds. Two ghillies, each with a boat, would, 

 of course, be better than one. When driven out the 

 birds fly about in all directions in their endeavours 

 to find some quiet retreat in which to settle down 

 again, but are met with shot after shot from the 

 various guns. 



Anglesey was a good place for driving Coot, and 

 in bygone years it was a favourite sport with the 

 visitors at Maelog Lake Hotel. 



