24 BRITISH BIIILS' NESTS. 



Time.—M^j. 



Bemarlis. — Resident. Notes : Creea, creea, ren- 

 dered by Mr. Seebolim as l-Jiee-o, Txliee-b. Utters a 

 quick, cliattering noise at times, like a starling. 

 Local and other names : Cornisli Daw, Cornisli 

 Chough, Cornwall Kae, Market Jew, Chauk Daw, 

 Eed-legged Crow, Killigrew, Hermit Crow, Cliff Daw, 

 Gesner's Wood Crow. Gregarious, but decreasiug 

 in numbers. Not a very close sitter, and noisy 

 when intruded upon. 



COOT. 



Description of Parent Birds. — Length about 

 eighteen inches. Bill of medium length, nearly 

 straight, and dull white tinged with red. There is 

 a smooth, naked white patch on the forehead which 

 readily distinguishes this bird from the Waterhen, 

 with its red shield. Irides hazel. Under the eye 

 is a narrow, curved line of white. The whole of the 

 plumage is black with exception of white on the 

 bend of the wing and narrow bar formed by the 

 white tips of the secondaries. The under-parts are 

 tinged with bluish-grey. Legs, toes, and scallop- 

 shaped lobes on either side of the latter, dark green. 

 Above the knee is an orange-coloured garter. 



The female is similar in size and appearance to 

 the male. 



Situation and Locality. — Amongst reeds, rushes, 

 osiers, and other aquatic herbage in marshes, by 

 the sides of ponds, reservoirs, large sluggish rivers, 

 and lakes. They are generally built up from 

 the bottom, but are sometimes simply moored to 

 surrounding objects, and becoming detached by 

 wind or floods, float about without any apparent 



