RAVENS, CURLEWS, AND EIDER-DUCKS 159 



which it pulls up from the bottom of the water. Here 

 is an instance, in which it will also be seen that the 

 coot's manner of diving is very much more formed 

 than the moor-hen's, which may be said to be archaic. 

 " It dives down and reappears, shortly, with some 

 dank weediness in its bill, which it proceeds to peck 

 about and swallow on the surface. Then it dives 

 again, comes up with some more, which it likewise 

 eats, and does this several times in succession. After 

 five or six dives it comes up with quite a large 

 quantity, with which it swims a little way to some 

 footing of flag and reed, and on this frail brown raft 

 it stands whilst picking to pieces and eating ' the fat 

 weed ' which it has there deposited. Having finished, 

 or selected from it, it swims to the same place again 

 and continues thus to dive and feed, each time coming 

 up with some weeds in its beak, which I see it eat 

 quite plainly. It is charming to see this, and also 

 the way in which the bird dives, which is elaborate, 

 studied, and yet full of ease. Rising, first, from the 

 water in a light, buoyant manner as if about to ascend, 

 balloon-like, into the air, it changes its mind in the 

 instant and plunges beneath the surface, having, as 

 it goes down, a very globular and air-bally appear- 

 ance. It is like the sometime dive of the dabchick, 

 but with more deportment and less specific gravity. 

 The dabchick is an oiled powder-puff, the coot a 

 balloon, the dabchick a small fluff-ball, the coot an 

 air-ball." 



From this it would seem as though the coot be- 

 longed to the cormorant school of diving, disagreeing 

 in this with the moor-hen, to whom it is so closely 

 allied, whilst agreeing with the dabchick, as well as 



