128 THE COOT. 



ations being well adapted to the hatching and rearing it 

 their young. In the Southern States, particularly Saitli 

 Carolina, they are well known ; but the Floridas appear to 

 be their principal rendezvous for the business of incubation. 

 "The C)ot," says William Bartram, "is a native of North 

 America, from Pennsylvania to Florida. They inhabit 

 large rivers, fresh-water inlets or bays, lagoons, &c., where 

 they swim and feed amongst the reeds and grass of the 

 Bhores ; particularly in the river St. Juan, in East Florida ; 

 where they are found in immense flocks. They are loqua- 

 cious and noigy, talking to one another night and day ; are 

 constantly on the water, the broad, lobated membranes on 

 their toes enabling them to swim and dive like ducks." 



The Coot inhabits the shores of Sweden and Norway; 

 appears in the spring, and very rarely visits the lakes or 

 moors. Is found in Kussia, China, Persia, Greenland, and 

 Siberia. It is common in France, particularly ia Lorraine. 



" This species is met with in Great Britain, at atl seasons 

 of the year; and it is generally believed, that it does not 

 migrate to other countries, but changes its stations, and 

 removes in the autumn from the lesser pools, or loughs, 

 where the young have been reared, to the larger lakes, 

 where flocks assemble in the winter. The female commonly 

 builds her nest in a bunch of rushes, surrounded by iho 

 water ; it is composed of a great quantity of coarse dri{>d 

 creeds, well matted together, and lined within with soft<';7 

 und finer grasses ; she lays from twelve to fifteen eggs «t f 



