COMMON COOT. 239 



ends ; the innermost secondaries washed with cindery-grey Hke 

 the back ; tail black ; head, hind-neck, and throat black ; 

 remainder of under surface of body light slaty-grey, with slight 

 remains of ashy margins to the feathers of the chest and centre 

 of the breast ; under wing-coverts slaty-grey, with a Une of white 

 feathers round the bend of the wing ; under tail-coverts black ; 

 bill very pale lavender, with a pinkish tinge; frontal shield 

 ivory-white ; tarsi and feet pearly-grey, with a greenish tinge on 

 the sides of the tarsus ; garter orange-yellow ; iris dark brown. 

 Total length, 14*5 inches ; culmen, from base of shield, 1*35 ; 

 wing, 8-6; tail, 2-2 ; tarsus, 1-3 ; middle toe and claw, 3.85. 



Adult Female. — Similar in plumage to the male, but slightly 

 smaller. Total length, 14 inches; wing, 8"i. 



Young. — Much browner than the adult, the feathers of the 

 head dusky black edged with white ; lores, eyebrows, and sides 

 of face white ; under surface of body ashy-whitish, browner on 

 the flanks. 



Nestling. — Black, with white filamentous tips to some of the 

 down ; head bare. 



Range in Great Britain. — The Coot occurs everywhere from 

 north to south in Great Britain, where localities suited to its 

 habits are to be met with, such as large ponds, lakes, and quiet 

 rivers. In some places, especially in the South of England, 

 such as Slapton Ley in Devonshire, and Poole Harbour, the 

 Coots appear in winter in large numbers, particularly when they 

 are frozen out of their more northern haunts. In Ireland the 

 species is reported to breed in every county, though it is more 

 local than the Moor-Hen. 



Range outside ttie British Islands. — The Coot is found over the 

 greater part of Europe and Asia, but does not range beyond the 

 Mediterranean, nor further than the Indo-Malayan Islands in 

 Asia. The northern range of the species extends occasionally 

 to S.W. Iceland, and it has even been recorded from Greenland, 

 while in Norway it nests up to 70° N. Lat. 



Habits. — The Coot prefers larger sheets of water than the 

 Moor-Hen, and does not take up its abode on such small ponds 

 as the last-named bird oftentimes affects. During the breeding 



