Northern Observations of Inland Birds 119 



a fable from the mind of the nature faker, but we have 

 it as fact of much more recent date from Lord Lilford, who 

 on several occasions saw white-tailed eagles repelled in 

 this way by bands of coots. They gathered into close 

 formation immediately the bird of prey appeared, and 

 effectively baffled the eagle's stoop by casting a sheet 

 of water into the air to meet it. I have several times 

 on Loch Ken seen the companies of coots unite forces 

 on perceiving the approach of a bird of prey. 



Fishing one broiling hot day from a boat in a reservoir 

 in Northamptonshire, my companion and I noticed 

 some dark dancing object on the shore a considerable 

 distance from us. We were unable to make out in the 

 quivering atmosphere what it was, and presently it ceased 

 to hold our interest. Drifting in that direction, however, 

 we obtained a closer view, and saw to our surprise that 

 the mystifying object was a coot desperately engaged in 

 combat with a huge grey rat. They must by that time 

 have been fighting for over twenty minutes, yet the 

 coot was still going at the rat hammer and tongs, and, so 

 far as we could tell, was depending chiefly upon its claws 

 — striking with both feet as a young sparrowhawk 

 strikes at food thrown to it. The bird was also using its 

 wings — possibly only to retain its balance. 



We were anxious to see the finish of the fight, and I 

 rather regret that we did not do so, for it certainly seemed 

 that the rat was entirely on the defensive. However, a 

 very wholesome and praiseworthy desire to kill the rat 

 prevailed, so landing quietly we approached from different 

 quarters. Neither of the combatants saw us till we were 

 within a few feet of them, whereupon the coot flew 

 away in an apparently uninjured state. The whole area 

 was littered with feathers, yet no sooner had we left the 

 place than we saw the coot fly back, apparently intent on 

 finishing the fight. Whether this was an exceptional 



