526 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



and the readiness with which acceptable food is found. The long- 

 est time any individual was observed to remain under water was 

 16 seconds, and the usual time in water 4 to 10 feet was about 9 

 seconds. 



The Coots feed most industriously when the surface of the 

 water is smooth and the air balmy. They feed actively also on 

 calm, moonlit nights. On quiet mornings and again in the after- 

 noon they gather on favorite grounds near shore and feed indus- 

 triously until disturbed. 



During the early part of the fall they were most apt to feed near 

 shore, doubtless because they were less timid and also because their 

 favorite food was found in shallow water. Later, as a result of 

 their being hunted and disturbed by gunners and others, they be- 

 came more wary and would not ordinarily approach or remain so 

 near shore. The depletion of the inshore feeding grounds also 

 doubtless has much to do with causing them to seek food farther 

 out in the lake. 



We soon discovered that the early arrivals were feeding on the 

 wild celery (Vallisneria spiralis), but at first we were not sure 

 what part of the plant they ate. We had read in the botanies 

 and the ornithologies that the great delicacy of the flesh of the 

 canvasback duck is due to the fact that it feeds on "the roots" 

 or the "leaves" of the wild celery. If a brisk breeze should spring 

 up after the Coots had been feeding diligently for a few hours or 

 a day or two, great quantities of wild celery plants would be 

 washed up on the shore. Upon examining these plants, we were 

 not able to discover that the roots or leaves of many of them had 

 been removed. Nearly all of the plants seemed intact and perfect 

 so far as these parts were concerned. One interesting part of the 

 plant, however, we were unable to find on any of the plants washed 

 ashore, namely, the modified stolon or so-called winterbud, which 

 many, perhaps all, of the Vallisneria plants form late in the sum- 

 mer. This is a short stem somewhat smaller than a lead pencil, 

 about one-half to two inches long, somewhat enlarged at the distal 

 end, white in color, very tender and crisp, and having quite a pleas- 

 ant flavor. We soon found it was upon these winter buds 

 that the coots were feeding, apparently exclusively, and they doubt- 

 less, during the early fall, constitute the principal food of the Coots 

 that frequent this lake. 



Later in the fall, after the supply of winter buds has become 

 practically exhausted, the Coots, bluebills, redheads, and canvas- 

 backs begin eating the bases of the wild celery leaves, and as choice 



