THE COOT 173 



this bird, which is generally described as being 

 "black with a white bill," is seen to be a most 

 delightful, almost dove-like coloured creature with 

 jet black glossy head, and the neck with a blue or 

 purple sheen. It is sociable, and though some- 

 times it has some small squabble with a neighbour, 

 it is in the main seemingly a cheery, good-tempered 

 bird. Although it is not often seen to fly far, it 

 can and does fly enormous distances and at a very 

 great pace. The Coot does not belong to the Duck 

 tribe ; it has not true webbed feet, but the web 

 follows the line of the toes on each side. Some- 

 times it goes in very large flocks, running into 

 thousands, and I have heard of large bags being 

 made ; but it seems rather a useless performance, 

 as it is not a good bird for the table by any means, 

 being very fishy flavoured, so fishy that it used to 

 be allowed to be eaten as " fish " on holy days in 

 French convents and monasteries. Its food seems 

 to consist principally of aquatic weeds and grasses, 

 and small fish and water creatures, and when it 

 comes on shore it searches for insects and small 

 slugs and snails, as it grazes goose -like on the 

 young tender blades of grass. 



The nest and eggs of the Coot are very like 

 those of the common Moorhen. 



