BRITAIN'S BIRDS AND THEIR NESTS. 101 



continually uttering their curious cry, characteristic, but 

 difficult to desci'ibe. It is something between a grunt 

 and a squeak, if that conveys anything ; and carries for 

 a long; distance across the water. 



The Coot is found on such waters as we have described 

 throughout the British Isles. It seems to be to some 

 extent only a summer visitor to Shetland, but it is other- 

 wise practically resident, except that in winter it is forced 

 to abandon many ice-bound lakes for the nearest tidal 

 waters. In winter it shows a gregarious tendency. 



The Coot is an early nester, laying in March or 

 April. The nest is an exceedingly firm and substantial 

 structure of flags and the like, rising a foot above the 

 water, and is placed in a reed-bed or some other concealed 

 situation. The eggs, seven to ten in number, are of 

 course larger than the Moorhen's, but the colour is 

 similar. The markings are darker and much smaller. 



The chicks resemble the Moorhen's, being covered with 

 the usual black down and having similar habits. The 

 ornaments about the head are red, and it is a very 

 interesting point that this feature, characteristic of both 

 the nestling and adult Moorhen, should show in the very 

 young Coot, though absent in later life. It is also of some 

 note that while the down covering and adult plumage 

 of the Coot are both dark in colour all over, the inter- 

 mediate immature plumage has the under-parts gray and 

 the throat nearly white ; the bald patch, too, is smaller. 



