WADING BIRDS. — 203 
kept cheeping piteously for their absent parent, they 
showed not the slightest alarm at us, but as we rowed 
quietly along they swam slowly after our boat, and so 
closely that I took up one in my hand, and as we left 
the island we had to drive them away, or they would 
have followed us to the shore, which was at some dis- 
tance, and where, possibly, the old bird might not easily 
have found them. The little things, with their dingy 
bodies and reddish heads, looked so pretty, and showed 
such confidence in us, that I felt quite sorry to leave 
them. I have known the male take charge of the 
young, tending them as carefully as the female ; whether 
this was owing to the death of the latter I cannot say, 
but I have noted an instance of the male being shot 
when thus engaged. The eggs of the coot are very con- 
stantin colour and markings, a cold stone-coloured ground 
uniformly covered with small blackish dots and specks. 
I have never but once seen a coot on the land; and 
here, as might be expected, from the construction of its 
feet, its actions were rather ungainly, though not so 
much so as might be supposed ; on the water it 1s quite 
another creature, thoroughly ‘at home, diving incessantly, 
and sometimes to the amazing distance of at least ninety 
or one hundred yards. Its skill asa diver is best seen 
in pairing time, when the male amorously chases the 
female, sometimes on the surface of the water, but as 
often beneath, and under cover I have watched with 
much interest and surprise the extent of their sub- 
aqueous evolutions, which I could see distinctly. 
